The facts
Howe won Best Collection for Foretokens, published by Chatto & Windus. The prize is £10,000. [1][2]
Turkmani won the £5,000 Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection for October, published by Hajar Press. [1][2]
Bergin won Best Single Poem–Written for The Fear, published in The Stinging Fly. Smith won Best Single Poem–Performed. [1][2]
The ceremony took place at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. Sarah Moss chaired the judges and Joelle Taylor hosted. [1][2]
Still unconfirmed
- The exact ceremony day and the performed winning poem’s title are inconsistent across the checked organizer pages and reports.
Sources
References support the numbered facts above. Source checks: 29 Oct 2026, 00:15 UTC.
The event date records the organizer’s announcement timestamp. Its post also calls the ceremony a Sunday. Its performed-poem heading says Where I’m From while its description and Write Out Loud name Dumbarton East. The four winner identities and categories agree.
- 2026 Forward Prize winners announcement
Forward Arts Foundation · Primary source · 24 Oct 2026
- Report on all four Forward Prize winners
Write Out Loud · Reporting · 24 Oct 2026
First posted 24 October and updated 25 October; independent specialist poetry reporting.