17th August, 2026

Laura Wainwright shortlisted for the Laurel Prize

We’re delighted that Laura Wainwright’s debut collection The Storm’s Flora has received further recognition on the shortlist for the Laurel Prize.

Supported by poet laureate Simon Armitage and run by the Poetry School, the Laurel Prize celebrates collections of nature or environmental poetry which highlight the climate crisis and raise awareness of the challenges and potential solutions at this critical point in our planet’s life.

Speaking on the shortlist, the judges said:

“At their best, these poems bring together the art of nature and the nature of art, reminding us that the way we imagine the living world can change the way we live in it.” – David Morley, Chair

“Reading these poems over months, I felt the focus and urgency in collection after collection. The poets have not just honoured the subject matter, but marshalled language and form to find their own ways to speak of threatened ecologies and fragile social structures…” – Imtiaz Dharker, Poet

“At a time when connecting people with the natural world has never been more important, I believe these poems work to close the artificial distance we so often create between “human” and “nature”, instead making the living world something we are held inside of, answerable to, altered by, and utterly part of.” – Bethan Laughlin, Senior Policy Specialist at international conservation charity Zoological Society of London (ZSL)’

Laura is one of five shortlisted poets alongside Fiona Benson, Cathy Galvin, Brandon Kilbourne and Jane Lovell. The winner will be announced on the 27 September at an event at BBC Philharmonic Studio in Salford as part of BBC Contains Strong Language festival.