CLiPPA 2025 children's poetry award shortlist announced

The shortlist for the annual CLPE children's poetry award, CLiPPA, has been announced with five collections by children's poets selected. Schools around the country will now start to shadow the awards, choosing their favourite poems to perform. 

Colossal words; effervescent rhymes for the very young; poetry adventures with a family of six; funny, touching poems about our pets; and a boundary-pushing poetry dialogue, this year's CLiPPA shortlist is typically rich and varied, and "full of magic" says poet Roger McGough, chair of the judges.

The CLiPPA is the UK's leading award for published poetry for children and highlights the year's best new poetry for children. Past winners include Carol Ann Duffy, Jackie Kay, Michael Rosen and Valerie Bloom as well as current Waterstone's Children's Laureate, Joseph Coelho. Matt Goodfellow won the 2024 CLiPPA with the highly regarded verse novel, The Final Year, and is on this year’s judging panel.

Roger McGough said, "These five collections each have their own magic. We are delighted now to hand these vibrant verses over to children and watch them make them their own through the CLiPPA Shadowing scheme."

CLiPPA 2025 Poetry Award Shortlist

Wise Up! Wise Down by John Agard and JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura, Walker Books (9+)
Two extremely accomplished poets have a conversation in poems, riffing off on one another's thoughts, going off at tangents and throwing their own new shapes. A boundary pushing collection that feels really different say the judges.

Let Sleeping Cats Lie, Brian Bilston, Macmillan (9+)
From a haiku composed by the poet's dog to an experimental poem written by his cat, and an ode to scamster ‘Arry the ‘Amster, Brian Bilston's collection will amuse (and sometimes move) all readers. This collection made the judges laugh out loud and they know it will have the same effect on children.

Big Red Dragon by Jane Newberry, illustrated by Carolina Rabei, Otter-Barry Books (3+)
There are poems for every season of the year in this liveliest of collections for youngsters, and lots of encouragement to join in. Bring your hands, your feet and your faces, say the judges and get ready to roar these poems off the page.

Colossal Words for Kids by Colette Hiller, illustrated by Tor Freeman, Frances Lincoln (7+)
Indisputably original and ambitious, say the judges, this riveting collection introduces 75 tremendous words in clever rhymes that shout out to be read aloud.

We Are Family by Oliver Skyes, illustrated by Ian Morris, Otter-Barry Books (9+)
In a first and deeply personal collection, Oliver Sykes presents poems about growing up poor in a busy, loving single parent family, delivered with sustained energy and insight, and clear joy in rhyme. Authentic and convincing, this gives voice to children not heard enough, say the judges.

Schools's CLiPPA Shadowing Scheme

The CLiPPA Shadowing Scheme invites schools to explore the shortlist with their pupils, looking at the poems in depth and creating live performances of individual favourites. CLPE provide specially created support materials for teachers, including videos of the shortlisted poets. The resources are supplied free to schools when they register to take part.

Each year the Shadowing Scheme prompts poetry performances in hundreds of classrooms. Winners of the Shadowing competition are invited to perform at the CLiPPA Award Ceremony, aka CLiPPA Poetry Show, onstage at the National Theatre alongside the shortlisted poets. This year's CLiPPA Poetry Show will take place on Friday 20th June.

Find out more on the CLiPPA website, including resources for the 2025 shortlist.