Poetry is the biggest category in the annual Koestler Awards, receiving nearly 1000 entries a year. While art materials can be difficult to get hold of in prison, everyone is entitled to paper and something to write with.

Edited by Martha Sprackland, Koestler Voices: New Poetry from Prisons Vol. 3 gathers together 50 poems from the 2020 and 2021 Koestler Awards, showcasing just some of the inspiring poetry written by people in the criminal justice system.

This year’s publication features a foreword by Jackie Kay, award-winning author of—among other books—The Adoption Papers, Red Dust Road, Trumpet, and Fiere and former Scots Makar, the National Poet for Scotland.