The Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize, named in honour of a distinguished Queensland poet, is a literary award for an unpublished poetry manuscript by a Queensland-based author. The prize was established in 2003 and currently comes with prize money of $2000 and a publication contract with the University of Queensland Press. Entry can be submitted from anyone residing in Queensland and the award is administered and managed by the Queensland Poetry Festival on behalf of Arts Queensland.

Award winners

2003 Lidija Cvetkovic, War is Not the Season for Figs 2004 Jaya Savige, latecomers 2005 Nathan Shepherdson, Sweeping the Light Back Into The Mirror 2006 Angela Gardner, Parts of Speech 2007 Sarah Holland-Batt, Aria 2008 Felicity Plunkett, Vanishing Point 2009 Rosanna Licari, An Absence of Saints 2010 Vlanes (Vladislav Nekliaev), Another Babylon 2011 Nick Powell, Water Mirrors 2012 Rachael Briggs, Free Logic 2013 David Stavanger, The Special 2014 Krissy Kneen, Eating My Grandmother 2015 Stuart Barnes, The Staysails (published as Glasshouses) (judges Felicity Plunkett and Justin Clemens) 2016 Shastra Deo, The Agonist (judges Felicity Plunkett and Justin Clemens) 2017 Rae White, Milk Teeth 2018 Anna Jacobson, I know I may not escape unscathed (published as Amnesia Findings) (judges Felicity Plunkett and Ali Alizadeh) 2019 Luke Best, Cadaver Dog 2020 Gavin Yuan Gao, At the Altar of Touch 2021 Janaka Malwatta, blackbirds don’t mate with starlings 2022 Jarad Bruinstroop, Reliefs (judges Stuart Barnes and Maria Takolander) 2023 Madeleine Dale, The Water-Bearers (judges Stuart Barnes and Maria Takolander