{{Short description|British membership organisation}} {{About|the UK society|the Indian society|The Poetry Society (India)}} {{Third-party|date=May 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox organization | name = The Poetry Society | former_name = Poetry Recital Society | abbreviation = | image = The Poetry Society and Poetry Cafe in Betterton Street, Covent Garden.jpg | image_size = | formation = {{Start date and age|1909}} | type = Membership organisation | headquarters = Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London, England, United Kingdom | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | publication = ''Poetry Review'' | website = {{url|https://poetrysociety.org.uk/}} }} '''The Poetry Society''' is a membership organisation, open to all, whose stated aim is "to promote the study, use and enjoyment of poetry". The society was founded in London in February 1909 as the Poetry Recital Society, becoming the Poetry Society in 1912. Its first president was Lady Margaret Sackville.<ref>[http://paperspast.natlib.gov.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP19090924.2.15 "Premiums for Poets"]{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''Evening Post'', 24 September 1909.</ref>
From its current premises in Covent Garden, London, The Poetry Society publishes ''The Poetry Review'', a poetry magazine. Established in 1912, its current editor is the poet Wayne Holloway-Smith, who succeeded Emily Berry in 2023. Berry herself succeeded Maurice Riordan in 2017. Fiona Sampson was the magazine's editor from 2005 to 2012.<ref>[http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/publications/review/ "Publications"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103000604/http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/publications/review/ |date=3 January 2008 }}, The Poetry Society.</ref>
In 2011, "with the help of some initial funding from Arts Council England's Poetry & Young People Project", the poet Holly Hopkins helped set up the Young Poets Network arm of the society,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Celebrating 10 Years of Young Poets Network: A History |website=Young Poets Network |url=https://ypn.poetrysociety.org.uk/features/10-years-of-young-poets-network/ |date=2021-04-01 |access-date=2025-09-07 |lang=en-GB}}</ref> which now focusses on supporting poets "up to the age of 25."<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Young Poets Network |website=Young Poets Network |url=https://ypn.poetrysociety.org.uk/about-young-poets-network/ |access-date=2025-09-07 |lang=en-GB}}</ref> The poet Jayant Kashyap called it "the best place for young poets based anywhere in the world."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ten Reasons To Get Involved in Young Poets Network |website=Young Poets Network |url=https://ypn.poetrysociety.org.uk/features/ten-reasons-to-get-involved-in-young-poets-network/ |access-date=2025-09-07 |lang=en-GB}}</ref>
==Awards== The society organises several competitions, including the British National Poetry Competition,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/competitions/ |title=The Poetry Society (Competitions) |publisher=The Poetry Society |access-date=22 July 2008}}</ref> the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award,<ref>[http://www.foyleyoungpoets.org Foyle Young Poets], The Poetry Society.</ref> The Popescu Prize, The Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry and the Geoffrey Dearmer Award. The society also ran the Alice Hunt Bartlett Prize from 1986 to 1997.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website}}
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Category:The Poetry Society {{Lit-org-stub}}