Today Adelaide, Tomorrow the World

Today Adelaide,
Tomorrow the World!

A competition to celebrate World Poetry Day with

Ellipsis Poetry and Page & Turner

First adopted in 1999, UNESCO World Poetry Day is held every year on 21 March to celebrate “one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguist expression and identity.”

To mark World Poetry Day 2026, Ellipsis Poetry and Page & Turner combine to bring you the inaugural Today Adelaide, Tomorrow the World! Poetry Competition.

The theme for 2026 is

METAMORPHOSIS

Quick Facts:

The theme for World Poetry Day 2026 is the theme for the competition: Metamorphosis.
The competition will open for entries on Monday 20 October 2025, and close at 5:00PM (CDST) on Friday 23 January 2026.
Entries are limited to one poem only per person.
Entry is free.

Full Terms and Conditions:

Eligibility

• The competition is open to all poets with a connection to Adelaide. • There is no age limit. Participants under the age of 18 must have consent from a parent or guardian to enter the competition. Additionally, a parent or guardian must accompany the minor to the public showcase event. • Management and staff of Ellipsis Poetry and Page & Turner (Rundle Mall store), and their immediate family, are ineligible to enter.

Judging

• A short list of finalists will be selected by the management and staff of Page & Turner (Rundle Mall store). • Finalists will be notified via email during the week commencing Monday 23 February 2026. Unsuccessful entrants will be notified as soon as practicable after this date. • At the time of notification, all finalists will be invited to read their entry at a public showcase event for World Poetry Day on Saturday 21 March 2026, at Page & Turner (Rundle Mall store). Finalists will have seven days to reply via return email. Failure to reply may result in disqualification. • Three ranked winners will be chosen by public secret ballot at the World Poetry Day event.

Prizes

• Three top ranked winners will share in the total prize pool, valued at $200.00. • The first placed entry, as determined by public vote, will receive a $50 Page & Turner store voucher and an Ellipsis Poetry “free pass” valid for one year (valued at $55). • The second placed entry, as determined by public vote, will receive a $30 Page & Turner store voucher and an Ellipsis Poetry “free pass” valid for six months (valued at $30). • The third placed entry, as determined by public vote, will receive a $20 Page & Turner store voucher and an Ellipsis Poetry “free pass” valid for three months (valued at $15). • All finalists will have their work published in an Ellipsis Poetry A5 zine and will receive a complimentary copy. • Prizes must be accepted as offered and cannot be varied or transferred.

Entries

• The theme for World Poetry Day 2026 is the theme for the competition: Metamorphosis. • Entrants may interpret the theme in any way they choose. • Entries may take any poetic form, including prose poetry. • Entries must be the original work of the entrant. • Entries created with the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence are ineligible. • Entries must be unpublished. Work that has been curated and distributed, in print or digitally, by a person or organisation other than the entrant, including distribution via professional or non-professional magazines, journals, blogs, and websites, is ineligible. Work displayed and distributed solely on the entrant’s own blog, website, or social media is deemed unpublished in this context and is eligible for this competition. • Entries must not exceed 30 lines (including breaks), and must not exceed 300 words. The title is not included in these limits. • Poetry must be submitted in a clear, legible font of no less than 11 point, and formatted as the poet would have it appear on an A5 page. • Entries must be in English or have an English translation provided. • Ellipsis Poetry reserves the right not to accept any entries at its sole discretion. Ellipsis Poetry also reserves the right to disqualify any entrant or entry in its absolute discretion. For example, Ellipsis Poetry may disqualify: o any surplus or additional entries; o incomplete, indecipherable or illegal entries, or entries containing incorrect contact details; o any entries that Ellipsis Poetry considers contains material that is objectionable, defamatory, profane, or potentially insulting or inflammatory, or contravenes an applicable law, or infringes any third party’s rights; o entries that Ellipsis Poetry considers inappropriate for any reason.

Entering

• The competition will open for entries on Monday 20 October 2025, and close at 5:00PM (CDST) on Friday 23 January 2026. • Entries will only be received via the online Entry Form below. • Poems must be submitted as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file and must not contain any personal or identifying information. • The file name must be the title of the poem as entered on the Entry Form. • Entries are limited to one poem only per person. • Entry is free. • Once submitted, an entry cannot be altered. • An entry may be withdrawn at any stage with notice in writing to Ellipsis Poetry at ellipsispoetrysa@gmail.com

Showcase

• All finalists will have the opportunity to read their entries at a showcase event on Saturday 21 March 2026 to mark World Poetry Day. • In the event that a finalist is unable to attend in person, an alternative reader may be nominated. This must be negotiated with Ellipsis Poetry before the day of the showcase. • In the event that a finalist, or their nominated reader, fails to attend the showcase without prior notice, their entry will be read by a representative of Ellipsis Poetry. Such an entry will be deemed ineligible for a ranked prize. • Prizes will be awarded according to a simple public vote at the showcase. • Any expenses incurred to attend the showcase are the responsibility of the finalist. Ellipsis Poetry and Page & Turner will not be liable for payment or reimbursement of any such expenses.

Publication

• By entering, the poet understands that their work may be accepted for publication in an anthology and associated publicity arising from this competition. • Acceptance of an invitation to the finalists showcase will be deemed to be permission to publish the entrants work in the anthology of finalists. • The publication itself will be a small format zine. Each finalist will receive a copy free of charge. Copies will be on sale at the showcase. Any remaining copies will be available for purchase through Ellipsis Poetry or Page & Turner.

Personal Information

• Personal information will be collected by Ellipsis Poetry, via the Entry Form, for the purposes of administering this competition and will not be disclosed to any third party. • Files containing unsuccessful entries will be permanently deleted from all systems at the conclusion of the short listing process. • Unsuccessful finalist entries will be permanently deleted from all systems, with the exception of the final print file of the anthology. • Prize winning works will be kept on file for a period of 12 months from the showcase and may be used, in full or in part, for promotional purposes by Ellipsis Poetry and Page & Turner.

Disclaimer

• This Competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram.

Entry Form:

Level 2, Myer Centre, Adelaide

World Poetry Day share poetry share culture

Ellipsis Poetry and Page & Turner recognise the Kaurna people as the custodians of the land on which we work and create. We extend our deepest respects to the Kaurna Elders. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and that our presence on these lands comes at a cost to others.