PEN Heaney Prize

The PEN Heaney Prize is an annual poetry award launched in 2024. It is delivered as a partnership between English PEN, Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann and the estate of the Irish poet Seamus Heaney, after whom it is named. A volume of poetry qualifies for the award if it is written by a single author, is published in the United Kingdom or Ireland, is judged to be "of outstanding literary merit", and "engages with the impact of cultural or political events on human conditions or relationships."

The winner of the PEN Heaney Prize is awarded £5,000. If the winning volume has been translated into English from another language, £5,000 is also awarded to the translator or translators.

Winners and shortlists Year Author(s) Title Publisher ResultReference2024Susannah DickeyISDALPicador PoetryWinnerMartina EvansThe Coming ThingCarcanet Poetry Shortlisted Fran LockHyena!Poetry Bus PressPatrick McGuinnessBlood FeatherCape PoetryDawn WatsonWe Play HereGranta PoetryYang LianA Tower Built Downwards (translated by Brian Holton)Bloodaxe Books 2025Tom PaulinNamanlaghFaber & FaberWinnerDon Mee ChoiMirror NationAnd Other Stories Shortlisted Najwan DarwishNo One Will Know You Tomorrow (translated by Kareem James Abu-Zeid)Yale University PressLena Khalaf TuffahaSomething About Livingthe87pressStav PolegThe BanquetCarcanet PoetryKaren SolieWellwater Pan Macmillan (Picador)

Judges 2024: Nick Laird, Paula Meehan and Shazea Quraishi 2025: Sasha Dugdale, Seán Hewitt and Zaffar Kunial

References