The Poetry Society

The Poetry Society is a membership organisation, open to all, whose stated aim is "to promote the study, use and enjoyment of poetry". The society was founded in London in February 1909 as the Poetry Recital Society, becoming the Poetry Society in 1912. Its first president was Lady Margaret Sackville.

From its current premises in Covent Garden, London, The Poetry Society publishes Poetry Review, a poetry magazine. Established in 1912, its current editor is the poet Wayne Holloway-Smith, who succeeded Emily Berry in 2023. Berry herself succeeded Maurice Riordan in 2017. Fiona Sampson was the magazine's editor from 2005 to 2012.

Awards
The society organises several competitions, including the British National Poetry Competition, the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award, The Popescu Prize, The Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry and the Geoffrey Dearmer Award. The society also ran the Alice Hunt Bartlett Prize from 1986 to 1997.