The Jackson Poetry Prize
The Jackson Poetry Prize, established in 2006, honors an American poet of exceptional talent. Eligible poets must have published at least two books of acknowledged literary merit. The $85,000 prize is designed to provide what all poets need—time and the encouragement to write. There is no application process for the Jackson Poetry Prize—nominees are identified by a group of poets selected by Poets & Writers who remain anonymous; final selection is made by a panel of esteemed poets. The Jackson Poetry Prize is made possible by a significant gift from the Liana Foundation.
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The Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award
Established in 1984, the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York literary community and provides them with a network for professional advancement. Each year writers from a single state are invited to apply. Winners are selected by outside judges and receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to meet with top literary professionals, including editors, agents, publishers, and prominent writers, and to give a public reading. To date, more than one hundred writers from forty-four states have participated. They have included Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees), David Mura (Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei), Fae Myenne Ng (Bone), and Mona Simpson (Anywhere But Here, My Hollywood), among many others. The Writers Exchange Award is generously supported by Maureen Egen, for whom the award is named.
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The Amy Award
Presented from 1995 to 2019, the Amy recognized women poets age thirty and under living in the New York City metropolitan area or on Long Island. Winners received an honorarium and participated in a reading hosted by Poets & Writers in New York City. The award was established by Paula Trachtman and Edward Butscher of East Hampton, New York, in memory of Ms. Trachtman's daughter, Amy Rothholz, an actor and poet.
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The Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award
Established in 1996, the Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, which is presented at Poets & Writers’ annual dinner, celebrates authors who have given generously to other writers or to the broader literary community. It is named for Barnes & Noble in appreciation of the company’s long-standing support of Poets & Writers. Nominations are sought from past winners, other prominent writers and editors, and Poets & Writers’ staff and Board of Directors. Recipients are then selected by a committee composed of members of the Board of Directors and Emeritus Board.
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The Editor’s Award
Established in 2009, the Editor’s Award, which is presented at Poets & Writers’ annual dinner, recognizes a book editor who has made an outstanding contribution to the publication of poetry or literary prose over a sustained period of time. Nominations are sought from past winners, other prominent writers and editors, and Poets & Writers’ staff and Board of Directors. Recipients are then selected by a committee composed of members of the Board of Directors and Emeritus Board.
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For comprehensive information on grants, awards, and writing contests sponsored by other organizations please visit Writing Contests, Grants & Awards.