Genre: Poetry

Upcoming Contest Deadlines

G&A: The Contest Blog
3.17.23

Celebrate the upcoming first day of spring by submitting to contests with a March 31 deadline! Opportunities abound for poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and translators. Don’t miss the chance to apply for six-month fellowships with A Public Space or to win $10,000 for a debut book of nonfiction by a first-generation immigrant or $5,000 for a manuscript of narrative poetry. All contests offer a cash prize of $1,000 or more and four are free to enter. May your writing bloom this springtime!

A Public Space
Writing Fellowships
Three six-month fellowships of $1,000 each are given annually to emerging poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers who “embrace risk in their work” and have not published a full-length book. The fellows will work with the editors to prepare a piece for publication in A Public Space, receive complimentary access to all A Public Space master classes during the fellowship year, and will also have the opportunity to meet with publishing professionals and participate in a public reading. Entry fee: none.

Banipal Trust for Arab Literature
Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation
A prize of £3,000 (approximately $3,665) is given annually for a book of poetry or fiction translated from Arabic into English and published for the first time in English during the previous year. Translations of Arabic works of poetry or fiction originally published in 1967 or later are eligible. Entry fee: none.

Black Lawrence Press
Hudson Prize
A prize of $1,000, publication by Black Lawrence Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a collection of poems, short stories, essays, or hybrid work. Collections including multilingual text are welcome, but the primary written language must be English. The editors will judge. Entry fee: $27.

Elixir Press
Antivenom Poetry Award
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Elixir Press is given annually for a first or second poetry collection. John Estes will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $30.

Four Way Books
Levis Prize in Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Four Way Books is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner will also be invited to participate in readings either virtually or in person in New York City, as public health guidelines allow. Diane Seuss will judge. Entry fee: $30.

Gemini Magazine
Short Story Contest
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a short story. The editors will judge. Entry fee: $8.

Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature
Paul Engle Prize
A prize of $20,000 is given annually to a writer “who, like Paul Engle, represents a pioneering spirit in the world of literature through writing, editing, publishing, or teaching, and whose active participation in the larger issues of the day has contributed to the betterment of the world through the literary arts.” Poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers are eligible. Self-nominations are not allowed. Entry fee: none.

Laura Boss Poetry Foundation
Laura Boss Narrative Poetry Award
A prize of $5,000, publication by New York Quarterly Books, and 25 author copies will be given annually for a manuscript of narrative poetry. The winner and finalists are invited to give a reading in Paterson, New Jersey, in partnership with the Poetry Center of Passaic County Community College. José Antonio Rodríguez will judge. Entry fee: $25 (which may be waived for those experiencing financial hardship).

Restless Books
Prize for New Immigrant Writing
A prize of $10,000 and publication by Restless Books is given in alternating years for a debut book of fiction or nonfiction by a first-generation immigrant. The 2023 prize will be given in nonfiction. Writers who have not published a book of nonfiction in English are eligible. Entry fee: none.

Trustees of the Robert Frost Farm
Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poem written in metrical verse. The winner also receives a scholarship to attend and give a reading at the Frost Farm Poetry Conference in Derry, New Hampshire, in June. Alfred Nicol will judge. Entry fee: $6. 

Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and translation.

Self-Portrait as Mae West Anagram

Caption: 

“I’m no moaning bluet, mountable / linnet, mumbling nun. I’m / tangible, I’m gin. Able to molt / in toto, to limn.” In this short film, Paisley Rekdal, who served as the Utah state poet laureate from 2017 to 2022, recites her poem “Self-Portrait as Mae West Anagram” for the Utah Division of Arts and Museums.

Genre: 
Poetry
Tags: 
Paisley Rekdal
reading
Self-Portrait as Mae West Anagram
Self-Portrait as Mae West One-Liner
Utah
poet laureate
short film
2015

Lyric Landscapes

The Time Is Now
3.14.23

“Fish / fowl / flood / Water lily mud / My life // in the leaves and on water,” writes Lorine Niedecker in “Paean to Place,” a long lyric poem that meditates on the region of southern Wisconsin where she was born and lived most of her life. Written in short sections, the poem goes in and out of memories and pastoral descriptions of marshlike landscapes, altogether serving as a testament to the impact a place can have on one’s poetic sensibilities. This week write a pastoral ode to the landscape you grew up in. Whether an urban sprawl or a rural town, try to use the poem’s form and idiosyncratic language to paint a portrait of your experience in this formative place.

Deadline Approaches for the National Poetry Series Open Competition

G&A: The Contest Blog
3.10.23

With only a few more days left before the deadline, don’t miss the opportunity to submit to the annual National Poetry Series Open Competition. Five U.S. poets will receive $10,000 each and publication of their collections by participating trade, university, or small press publishers. The 2023 publishers are Beacon Press, Ecco, Milkweed Editions, Penguin Books, and University of Georgia Press. Residents of the United States and American citizens living abroad are eligible to apply.

Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of a suggested length of 48 to 64 pages with a $35 entry fee by March 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines. Finalists will be notified around May 31, around which time their manuscripts will be shared with five judges for further consideration. The competition winners will be notified around August 31, and all finalists will be informed of their status at that time.  

The National Poetry Series literary awards program seeks to “support poetry and increase the audience for poetry by heightening its visibility among readers,” as well as “give American poets, of all ethnic and racial groups, gender, religion, and poetic style, access to publishing outlets not ordinarily available to them.” Members of the Board of Directors include Natalie Diaz, Daniel Halpern, Cathy Park Hong, Imani Perry, Tracy K. Smith, and Natasha Trethewey. Recent winners include Adrienne Chung (Organs of Little Importance, Penguin Books), Olatunde Osinaike (Tender Headed, Akashic Books), Tennison S. Black (Survival Strategies, University of Georgia Press), Courtney Bush (I Love Information, Milkweed Editions), and Alisha Dietzman (Sweet Movie, Beacon Press).

Find a Writing Contest

The Grants & Awards database includes details about every writing contest we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it, making the Grants & Awards database the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

Search the database

Poetry Center of Chicago

Reading Venue

An independent not-for-profit arts organization founded in 1974, the Chicago Poetry Center’s mission is to promote poetry through readings, workshops, and arts education, to make poetry accessible to the general public, to stimulate and encourage young poets, and to advance the careers of poets by offering them professional opportunities.

Benbrook Public Library

Reading Venue

The Benbrook Public Library provides a safe and comfortable facility and resources that meet informational needs, encourage lifelong learning, provide cultural enrichment, and support responsible citizenship. The library provides free services to all residents living within the Benbrook city boundaries, as well as non-residents. 

The library also hosts various literary events, such as storytime, poetry readings, workshops, and more.

Harvard Book Store

Indie Bookstore, Reading Venue

Harvard Book Store is a unique and special place to shop—a locally owned, independently run Cambridge landmark since 1932. It is known for its extraordinary selection of new, used, and remainders, a popular author event series, and a history of innovation—including local bike delivery and a book-making robot (capable of printing and binding any of millions of titles in minutes). On their website, customers can browse the shelves, staff recommendations, and the author events calendar.

Porter Square Books

Indie Bookstore, Reading Venue

Founded in 2004, Porter Square Books is a general new bookstore featuring contemporary and classic literature for both kids and adults, as well as greeting cards, magazines, and unique gifts. The store hosts many events by national and local authors, sells books for other organizations in the community, and organizes book fairs and author appearances in local schools.

The Parma Chai Out of the Blue Community Arts Gallery

Reading Venue

The Parma Chai Out of the Blue Community Arts Gallery is a beloved art gallery, music venue, and literary salon known for its lively local art exhibits and music shows. With thirty years of experience in the arts and hosting events both public and private, formal and casual, the team behind the gallery has always worked to ensure art flourishes in the Cambridge neighborhood. At the gallery, there is space available for artists and makers to work in, as well as room for art shows, music, rehearsals, and other creative activities such as classes, dance, and yoga.

Pages

Subscribe to Poetry