Ten Questions for Angela Hume
“I write poetry when I’m in transit or transition.” —Angela Hume, author of Interventions for Women
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Genre: Poetry
Morning Routine
In her poem “Taking Out the Trash,” the late poet Kamilah Aisha Moon, who died at the age of forty-eight last week, takes a seemingly mundane task and makes the activity profound. Through detailed, sensory descriptions of routine movements such as “I shimmy the large kitchen bag from / the steel canister, careful not to spill / what’s inside,” Moon walks the reader through the meditative, deliberate actions of her morning routine, bringing attention to the role her body has in everyday actions and the presence of one’s mortality throughout the day. Write a poem about a daily chore or everyday task that brings attention to your body. Try, as Moon does in her poem, to take time describing the movements of your body.
Upcoming Contest Deadlines
Book prizes abound this month! If you are at work on a full-length manuscript, consider submitting to one of the following contests, which all close on September 30. One contest is exclusively open to women poets over 40 who have not yet published a book in any genre. There is also one essay contest and a prize for an individual poem.
Boulevard Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for an essay by a writer who has not published a full-length book in any genre with a nationally distributed press. The editors will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $16 (includes subscription).
California State University in Fresno Philip Levine Prize for Poetry: A prize of $2,000 and publication by Anhinga Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Carmen Giménez Smith will judge. Entry fee: $22 ($25 for electronic submissions).
Carlow University Patricia Dobler Poetry Award: A prize valued at $2,000 is given annually to a woman poet over 40 who has not published a book in any genre. The winner receives $1,000, publication in Voices From the Attic, and travel and lodging to give a reading with the contest judge at Carlow University. Lee Ann Roripaugh will judge. Entry fee: $20.
Dzanc Books Prizes: Three cash prizes and publication are given for a novel ($5,000), a story collection ($2,500), and a nonfiction book ($1,500). Nina Shope, David Tromblay, and Anne Valente will judge for the novel prize. Entry fee: $25.
Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award: A prize of $1,500, publication on the Ghost Story website and in the Ghost Story print anthology, 21st Century Ghost Stories, is given twice yearly for a short story with a supernatural or magic realism theme. Lesley Bannatyne will judge. Entry fee: $20.
Red Hen Press Fiction Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given biennially for a short story collection or a novel. Aimee Liu will judge. Entry fee: $25.
University of Arkansas Press Miller Williams Poetry Prize: A prize of $5,000 and publication by University of Arkansas Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Patricia Smith will judge. Entry fee: $28.
University of Iowa Press Short Fiction Awards: Two awards of publication by University of Iowa Press are given annually for first collections of short fiction. Entry fee: None.
University of Massachusetts Press Juniper Prizes: Five prizes of $1,000 each and publication by University of Massachusetts Press are given annually for a first poetry collection, a poetry collection by an author who has previously published a book, a short story collection, a novel, and a book of creative nonfiction. The creative writing faculty at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst will judge. Entry fee: $30.
Winning Writers Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest: Two prizes of $3,000 each and publication on the Winning Writers website are given annually for a poem in any style and a poem that either rhymes or is written in a traditional style. Soma Mei Sheng Frazier and Vernon Keeve III will judge. Entry fee: $15.
Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
Travel Writing Contest
Nowhere
Entry Fee:
$20
Deadline:
December 15, 2021
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Nowhere is given twice yearly for a poem, a short story, or an essay that "possesses a powerful sense of place." Porter Fox will judge. Unpublished and published pieces that have not already been chosen as a contest winner are eligible. Using only the online submission system, submit a poem or group of poems of up to 800 words or a story or essay of 800 to 5,000 words with a $20 entry fee by December 15. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Prize
Munster Literature Center
Entry Fee:
$8
Deadline:
November 30, 2021
A prize of €2,000 (approximately $2,344) and publication in Southword is given annually for a single poem. Submit a poem of up to 40 lines with a €7 (approximately $8) entry fee or five poems of up to 40 lines each with a €30 (approximately $35) entry fee by November 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Poetry Chapbook Competition
Slipstream Press
Entry Fee:
$20
Deadline:
December 1, 2021
A prize of $1,000, publication by Slipstream Press, and 50 author copies is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The editors will judge. Submit a manuscript of up to 40 pages with a $20 entry fee, which includes a copy of the winning chapbook and an issue of Slipstream Magazine, by December 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
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Poetry Award
Codhill Press
Entry Fee:
$30
Deadline:
December 30, 2021
A prize of $1,000, publication by Codhill Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. James Sherwood will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 70 pages with a $30 entry fee by December 30. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
C. P. Cavafy Poetry Prize
Poetry International
Entry Fee:
$15
Deadline:
December 1, 2021
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Poetry International is given annually for a single poem. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of any length with a $15 entry fee ($3 for each additional poem) by December 1. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Tony Quagliano Poetry Award
Hawai’i Council for the Humanities
Entry Fee:
$0
Deadline:
December 1, 2021
A prize of $1,000 will be given biennially to a poet with a body of work that “pushes the boundaries of poetic craft” who also “contributes meaningfully to the literary community.” Poets who have published at least 25 poems in journals, anthologies, chapbooks, or books are eligible. The award particularly seeks to recognize poets with a connection to Hawai’i or the Pacific. Submit 20 pages of poems, a statement regarding community-building work, and a bibliography by December 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Letterpress Poetry Chapbook Competition
Center for Book Arts
Entry Fee:
$30
Deadline:
December 31, 2021
A prize of $500 and letterpress publication by the Center for Book Arts is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The winner will also receive 10 copies of their chapbook and an additional $500 to give a reading with the contest judge at the Center for Book Arts in New York City in fall 2022, and a free weeklong residency at the Millay Colony for the Arts in Austerlitz, New York, for their Wintertide Rustic Retreat. Mei-mei Berssenbrugge will judge. Submit a manuscript of up to 21 pages (or 450 lines) with a $30 entry fee by December 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
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