Malliouhana Poetry has launched its 2026 competition, inviting Anguilla’s residents to engage in literacy and artistic expression under the theme ‘Salt in de Blood’.
Now in its 19th year, the annual competition – which has attracted more than 800 entries from poets of all ages – seeks to promote an ethos of social, cultural and political awareness.
According to the organising committee, the theme speaks to connection and continuity, evoking memory, movement and the rhythms of everyday island life.
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“It reflects the bonds between land, sea, people and time, and invites poets to explore the ebb and flow that shape our tidal lives,” the team said in a press release on 29 January.
Open to anyone living in Anguilla, the competition features two categories – Poetry on the Page and Spoken Word.
Junior poets (eight to 12), teens (13 to 17) and adults (18 and up) are invited to submit their unpublished work for either or both categories.
Poets in the Spoken Word category will be required to present their submissions for judging in front of a live audience at the annual awards ceremony scheduled for 6 May.
Winners of the Poetry on the Page category will also be invited to read their submissions at the ceremony.
The deadline for entries is 31 March and entry forms, as well as the rules for the competition, are available via email at [email protected] or from the Anguilla Library Service.
Further information can be obtained by calling (264) 497-2441.
Malliouhana Poetry is a non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering literary and artistic expression.
It is supported by the Anguilla Library Service, the Department of Youth and Culture and the Department of Education.
Last year’s competition brought together a powerful mix of voices from across Anguilla inspired by the theme ‘Mi Mudda Say…’.
