CLiPPA - The CLPE Poetry Award
Photo ©Ellie Kurttz
The CLiPPA (Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award) is the only award solely presented for published poetry for children in the UK. Established in 2003, the annual Poetry Award encourages and celebrates outstanding poetry published for children. The winner of the CLiPPA receives a cash prize of £1000, a trophy, and opportunities to engage in ongoing publicity around their text being shortlisted for the Award. A shadowing scheme for schools runs alongside with free resources available to study and perform poems from the shortlisted collections.
Information for Publishers: CLiPPA 2024 Submissions Now Closed
The submissions window for CLiPPA, the CLPE Poetry Award 2024, closed on Friday 12th January 2024 - our thanks to everyone who submitted. If you are interested in submitting to the CLiPPA 2025, or have any further questions about the Award, please contact Phoebe the CLPE Librarian at phoebe@clpe.org.uk.
CLiPPA 2023
This year's CLiPPA (CLPE Children's Poetry Award), in its special 20th anniversary year has been awarded to Marshmallow Clouds, poems inspired by nature by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek, illustrated by Richard Jones,(Walker Books) described as a thing of beauty.” Choose Love by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Petr Horáček (Graffeg) is Highly Commended for her moving sequence of poems about the refugee experience.
The announcement came from CLiPPA judge, Chris Riddell during a buzzing live ceremony onstage at the Lyttleton Theatre, at the National Theatre on 10th July. The shortlisted poets read their poems onstage to a full house, and the CLiPPA Poetry Show also featured live poetry performances by children aged 5-13, winners of the unique CLiPPA Shadowing Scheme. The award was presented by last year’s CLiPPA winner Valerie Bloom and ALCS’s Mark Bispham.
The other shortlisted collections are:
- Blow a Kiss Catch a Kiss by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Nicola Killen, (Andersen Press),
- Let’s Chase Stars Together, by Matt Goodfellow, (Bloomsbury Education),
- These are the Words by Nikita Gill, (Macmillan Children’s Books).
The judges for the CLiPPA 2023 were:
- Chris Riddell OBE, illustator, artist, political cartonist for the Observer and former Children's Laureate who will chair the judging panel;
- Valerie Bloom MBE, CLiPPA 2022 winner for Stars with Flaming Tails and author of other poetry volumes for adults and children;
- Jay Bhadricha, Head of Programmes at Forward Arts Foundation, the charity responsible for the Forward Prizes for Poetry and National Poetry Day;
- Indigo Williams, British-Nigerian writer, Spoken Word Educator and a Project Manager at BookTrust for the BookTrust Represents project;
- Charlotte Hacking, Learning and Programme Director at CLPE
For information about eligibility and the submissions process for publishers for the CLiPPA, please contact the CLPE Librarian at phoebe@clpe.org.uk.
Find out about more about signing up for the Shadowing Scheme 2024!
For previous CLiPPA winners see Supporting Materials below.
The CLiPPA is delivered in partnership with the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by Arts Council England.
Find out more about ALCS' resources on Copyright in the Classroom.
