Cal O'Reilly on the Young Critics Scheme

What is the Young Critics Scheme? What do you learn on it? And why should you apply? Cal O'Reilly, a 2023 Young Critic, talks about his experience and offers reviewing and video-making tips.

The Young Critics Scheme is a partnership project run by the T. S. Eliot Prize and The Poetry Society’s Young Poets Network. It supports young writers to gain skills and experience in poetry criticism and to review via video the ten books on the T. S. Eliot Prize shortlist.

The ten selected participants will attend four online masterclasses in October and November 2024 on reviewing poetry, editing and video-making, including workshops led by leading reviewers. They will be assigned one book from the T. S. Eliot Prize 2024 shortlist in early October to review, and submit a video review by 20 November 2024.

The reviewers will each receive copies of the shortlisted collections and two free tickets to the celebrated T. S. Eliot Prize Readings at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, London, on 12 January 2025 (or free access to the livestream if they are unable to attend). They will have the chance to meet each other over dinner, and beyond the programme they will receive support from The Poetry Society and T. S. Eliot Prize to form networks and further develop their reviewing careers. Full details of the programme are available in the link above.

No previous reviewing or poetry writing experience is required. Applications from writers underrepresented in poetry reviewing are encouraged, including those from Black, Asian and other minoritised ethnic backgrounds; d/Deaf and disabled writers; working class writers; and LGBTQ+ writers.