The Asian Prizes has revealed the shortlist for the inaugural Asian Prize for Poetry 2025, narrowing ten exceptional works down to five outstanding poems that powerfully engage with this year’s theme, “The Earth.”

The shortlisted works represent voices from around the world, demonstrating remarkable literary achievement and profound engagement with environmental consciousness. From Southeast Asia to South Asia, from Eastern Europe to the Pacific, these poems embody the prize’s vision of international poetic dialogue.

The following five works have been selected for the shortlist:

1. Natural Disaster by Musakovska Julia (Ukraine)
2. The Roots of My Feet by Danny I. Yatim (Indonesia)
3. The Infinity Circle by Akuratiya Vithanage Alian Vidujith (Sri Lanka)
4. The River of Thoughts by Doan Nguyen Anh Minh (Vietnam)
5. Howl by Rex Tan Chwan Shiuh (Malaysia)

The jury, chaired by Ukrainian poet Iryna Vikyrchak and including Louise Bertana (Philippines), Heather Bourbeau (United States), Shirani Rajapakse (Sri Lanka), Dr Lame Pusetso (Botswana), and Scholastica Moraa (Kenya), selected these five poems for their exceptional artistic merit and compelling exploration of humanity’s relationship with the Earth.

Each shortlisted work brings a distinct cultural lens and poetic voice to the theme. From Ukraine’s resilient landscapes to Indonesia’s rooted wisdom, from Sri Lanka’s eternal cycles to Vietnam’s flowing reflections and Malaysia’s passionate outcry, these poems demonstrate poetry’s unique capacity to bridge cultures and amplify urgent environmental narratives.

This inaugural edition marks a significant milestone for The Asian Group of Literature’s expanding recognition programme. The Asian Prize for Poetry joins the established Asian Prizes umbrella, which has operated since 2022 and includes awards for literature, fiction, short story, natural sciences, and social sciences.

The shortlist will be featured in the online edition of The Asian Review as well as The Asian Journal of Literature’s printed edition 2025, alongside the short story prize’s shortlist. The winner will be announced on 15th December 2025, concluding this landmark inaugural edition of the international poetry prize.

Emanuelle Cohen