Ashdown Forest summer competition - Winnie the Pooh centenary approaching

WE'RE just one year away from celebrating the centenary of A.A.Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh -and here's your chance to be creative and poetic about the iconic Ashdown Forest.

The Forest is the source of inspiration for many writers and artists and the setting of many of Milne’s classic Pooh stories.

Now The Ashdown Forest Foundation is partnering with the Royal Literary Fund to launch the second year of its poetry competition.

The theme is Connections and there are two categories -  Adults (over 18s) and Teens (age 13-18).  

Last year there were more than 200 entries, and the organisers are hoping for an even better response this year.

Beth Morgan, Head of Engagement at Ashdown Forest, said: "This is a particularly exciting time for the Forest. Next year sees the centenary celebration of the classic Pooh stories, which have served as a reminder of the importance of mindfulness and connection to nature.

"We have chosen Connections as the theme because it is a sweeping topic with scope to explore our connections to nature, to each other and to ourselves.

"This may include family relationships, connections to animals and nature, or to something more philosophical."

This year's judges will be Kathryn Aalto, an Ashdown Forest Foundation Trustee, and Fiona Sampson, RLF Trustee.

Kathryn is a New York Times-bestselling author, educator, speaker, garden  historian, and designer, whose work bridges the realms of nature, culture, and storytelling. 

Fiona MBE FRSL is a leading British poet, literary biographer and writer. She is best  known for her poetry, which has received many international prizes in the US and the UK. 

Beth said: "We are thrilled to have Kathryn and Fiona on board - two hugely respected writers and renowned experts in their field.

"Ashdown Forest has for so long been the source of inspiration for writers and artists alike - and most famously the setting of the Pooh stories by A.A.Milne.

"We are delighted to have partnered with the Royal Literary Fund for 2025, and we are also grateful to The Ashdown Forest Foundation for its continued support."

Royal Literary Fund Chief Executive Edward Kemp is thrilled at the new partnership.

He said: "We are delighted to partner with Ashdown Forest for this year's poetry competition. Our histories have been entwined ever since Ashdown resident A.A.Milne bequeathed a share of his literary estates to the RLF - a generous bequest that has enabled us to support many hundreds of writers, including many poets who have benefited from our hardship grants and education programmes.

"The theme of Connections is highly appropriate given this shared heritage."

 The competition is free to enter, and applications can be submitted online via  Ashdown Forest’s ‘Poetry Competition’ webpage, where you can also view the conditions of entry:  

Poetry Competition 2025 | The Conservators of Ashdown Forest

The closing date is midnight on Friday 15 August and the winners will be announced on National Poetry Day, Thursday 3 October.

The winners will be invited to a photoshoot at the Ashdown Forest Centre at Wych Cross in Sussex at the end of October.