The Moth Nature Writing Prize
aims to encourage and celebrate the art of nature writing. It is awarded
annually to an unpublished piece of prose or poetry which best
combines exceptional literary merit with an exploration of the writer’s
relationship with the natural world.
The prize is open to anyone over
the age of sixteen, as long as the work is original and previously
unpublished.
Each year a single judge is
asked to choose winners from entries worldwide. The 1
st prizewinner
receives €1,000 and a week at
Circle
of Misse in
France. This year we have added a 2
nd prize of €500 and a 3
rd
prize of €250.
‘If you are engaged with being alive on this planet just now … and you are not terrified about the future half the time, you are not paying attention.’ Max Porter (2022 judge)
‘I wish that we would not fight for landscapes that remind us of who we think we are. I wish we would fight, instead, for landscapes buzzing and glowing with life in all its variousness.’ Helen Macdonald (2021 judge)
‘The answer to the still present threat of a silent spring is for us to sing against the storm.’ Richard Mabey (2020 judge)
‘What a great competition to be running.’ Robert Macfarlane
‘It gives me so much confidence and it is wonderful to have my writing out there and enjoyed by others.’ Sammy Weaver (2020 winner)
‘I am eternally grateful, however much of eternity I have left in me.’ Arne Weingart (2021 winner)
THE JUDGE
The multi-award-winning
Kathleen Jamie published her first
collection of poetry at the age of 20 and is the author of numerous collections
since, as well as three
works of non-fiction, an acclaimed travel narrative and the essay collections
Findings and
Sightlines, both hailed as ground-breaking nature books.
‘To produce work I’ve walked and sailed many miles, and benefited from the company and expertise of visual artists, pathologists, curators, ornithologists, and from encounters with other species too, especially birds and whales.’ Kathleen Jamie (2023 judge)
HOW TO ENTER
The Moth Nature Writing Prize is open to anyone over 16, as long as the work is
original and previously unpublished. There is a 4,000 maximum word limit. The
entry fee is €15 per entry and you can enter as many pieces as you like.
You can
enter online or
send your entry along with a cheque or postal order made payable to ‘The Moth
Magazine Ltd.’ with an
entry form or a cover letter with your
name and contact details and the title of your piece attached to: The Moth,
Ardan Grange, Milltown, Belturbet, Co. Cavan, Ireland H14 K768.
The Prize closes 30 September 2023.
The winning entries will appear in the Irish Times online.
Call 00 353 87 2657251 or email enquiries@themothmagazine.com for more details
