Koestler Voices: New Poetry from Prisons
Poetry is the biggest category in the annual Koestler Awards, receiving nearly 1,000 entries a year. Since 2017 we have published five volumes of Koestler Voices: New Poetry from Prisons, made possible by the generous support of the T. S. Eliot Foundation and our dedicated community of supporters.
If you’d like to be moved, challenged, and inspired by the words of people in secure settings, you can purchase physical copies from our online shop or at our exhibitions.
Volume 5
Our crowdfunder for Koestler Voices: New Poetry from Prisons, Volume 5 ran between the 22 July and 9 September, with over a 100 people taking part in helping us raise £6,000.
This project, like many others, wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our incredible community of supporters and friends.
Thank you to everyone who helped us by donating, sharing, or spreading the word. Volume 5 was published on Friday 31 October 2025.
Buy a copy here
Volume 1 – reprinted
Due to continued demand after it sold out, and with thanks to the T. S. Eliot Foundation, Volume 1 is available as a free digital download – including on in-prison laptops – so that everyone can read it, and so that future Koestler Awards entrants feel encouraged to try their hand at writing.
Volume 1 also features a foreword by the late Benjamin Zephaniah, who was an inspiration to many, particularly those with lived experience of the criminal justice system, as he spoke openly about his experience of prison. His words remain as relevant today as they were in 2017, and we are proud to honour his memory with this reprint.
The digital anthology is free to download below.
Download Koestler Voices Vol.1