The multi-tongued and multicultural poet Vahni Capildeo; Leeds-based poet Ian Duhig; Kurdish poet Choman Hardi, who sought asylum in the UK in the 1990s; Devon-based gardener and classicist Alice Oswald; and philosopher and feminist theorist Denise Riley make up the shortlist for this year’s £15,000 Forward prize for best collection.

On the shortlist for the £5,000 Felix Dennis prize for best first collection are:  Nancy Campbell, Ron Carey, Harry Giles, Ruby Robinson, and Tiphanie Yanique. The shortlist for the £1,000 Forward prize for best single poem is: Sasha Dugdale, David Harsent, Solmaz Sharif, Melissa Lee-Houghton, and Rachel Hadas. More details.

This is the 25th year of the Forward prizes for poetry, which were set up in 1992 by philanthropist William Sieghart to celebrate excellence in poetry and increase its audience, and are awarded to published poets for work in print in the last year.

This year’s judges are chaired by poet Malika Booker,and include poets George Szirtes and Liz Berry, plus singer-songwriter Tracey Thorn and Don Share, editor of Poetry magazine. The prizes will be awarded on 20 September at the Royal Festival Hall.