The British Deaf Association (BDA) is proud to announce the winner of its third annual British Sign Language (BSL) Poet Laureate competition.
The BSL Poet Laureate competition was first launched by the BDA in 2022 to celebrate the UK’s inaugural National BSL Day—marking the anniversary of BSL’s legal recognition as an indigenous language of Great Britain through the British Sign Language (BSL) Act 2022.
The competition itself plays an integral role in these objectives by providing a platform for Deaf poetry, showcasing the richness and uniqueness of BSL, and ensuring that the Deaf community’s culture and language are celebrated and accessible to all.
This year, Deaf BSL signers aged 18+ from across the UK were invited to submit a two-minute video of their original poetry in BSL, on the theme “What I hope for the future of BSL”. Submissions were judged based on language fluency, creativity, originality, content, and performance confidence.
The British Deaf Association (BDA) is delighted to announce Ishtiaq Hussain as the 2025 BSL Poet Laureate, an esteemed honour that comes with a £500 prize and the exciting opportunity to perform at DeafZone at Glastonbury 2025. Ishtiaq's poetry explores a powerful and important theme, delivered with a confident and engaging performance that blends humour, fluent movement, and thoughtful use of metaphor. The outstanding runners-up of the 2025 BSL Poet Laureate competition are Maral Mamaghanizadeh, who takes second place and will receive £200, and Zoë McWhinney, who takes third place and will be awarded £100. Maral’s poem is notable for its strong BSL, clear structure, and effective use of space and symmetry, while Zoë’s piece stands out with a confident performance, rich in language
and creativity. The BDA offers its heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and extends its sincere thanks to every participant for their creative contributions.
As BSL Poet Laureate, Ishtiaq Hussain will collaborate with the BDA to create and share original poetry throughout the year, while also performing on the Poetry and Words stage at Glastonbury, at the BSL Conference, and at the BDA AGM, ensuring their voice is heard at some of the most exciting events in the UK.
Rebecca Mansell, Chief Executive of the British Deaf Association, said:
“The BSL Poet Laureate competition is a vital way for us to celebrate the richness and uniqueness of BSL and the vibrant culture that surrounds it. It also highlights the incredible talent within the Deaf community and helps raise awareness of the importance of BSL into society. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners—each brought something truly special to their poetry. I’m excited to see how our new Poet Laureate will inspire others, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate and champion BSL”
Thank you to our generous sponsor, DeafZone Glastonbury provides BSL access and information to hearing people about the deaf community at Glastonbury Festival.
