Directory of Poetry Resources

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Legitimate writing and literary contests, competitions, awards and prizes of all kinds. Contests do NOT have to offer monetary rewards, but that is what most authors expect to find in this category.

Resources in This Category

• Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards

  http://www.poetrycenterpccc.com/awards/
  Annual contest seeks original, unpublished poems, no more than two manuscript pages in length, on any themes, and in any genre. Sponsored by the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College.

• Aquillrelle

  http://www.aquillrelle.com/
  Organizes and hosts poetry and story contests, to be published online, in a contest anthology and magazine.

• Betjeman Poetry Prize

  http://www.betjemanpoetryprize.co.uk/
  A competition for young poets aged 10 -13, UK based.

• Bridport Prize

  http://www.bridportprize.org.uk/
  An international creative writing competition for poetry (under 42 lines) and short stories (under 5,000 words). Prize money totals ten thousand pounds. Entry fee: Six pounds. Deadline: June 30, each year.

• Burning Bush Poetry Prize

  http://www.bbbooks.com/contests.html
  An annual prize for an original poem on a "people before profits" theme. $10 entry fee. $200 prize. Deadline: March 1.

• Colorado Prize for Poetry

  http://coloradoreview.colostate.edu/colorado-prize-for-poetry/
  An international poetry book manuscript contest. Winner receives an honorarium and publication by the Center for Literary Publishing. Sponsored by the University of Colorado.

• Comstock Review Annual Poetry Contest

  http://www.comstockreview.org/
  Original, unpublished poems are sought. Maximum length: 40 lines. Entry fee: $3 per poem. Prize pool: $1,350. Deadline: July 1. Selected poems will be published.

• Cutthroat Poetry Award

  http://www.cutthroatmag.com/
  Annual poetry contest, submit three poems of up to 100 lines each. 1st prize $1,250, entry fee $15. Deadline: 10th October.

• First Writer Poetry Competition

  http://www.firstwriter.com/competitions/poetry_competition.shtml
  Annual contest offers first prize of £500 (over $750), with $150 for the best runner-up from the United States and £100 for the best runner-up from the United Kingdom for a poem in any style and on any subject. Length: under 30 lines. Minimum entry fee: 3 pounds. Deadline: October 1.

• Frances Locke Memorial Poetry Award

  http://www.bitteroleander.com/contest.html
  Annual contest offers a $1,000 cash award, plus publication, for an imaginative work. Reading fee: $10. Deadline: June 15.

• Georgia Poetry Society - Contests

  http://georgiapoetrysociety.org/contests/
  Offers a number of contests throughout the year, international in scope, for short poems.

• Griffin Poetry Prize

  http://www.griffinpoetryprize.com/
  Griffin Poetry Prizes, worth C$40,000 each, are annual international and Canadian literary awards for poetry written or translated into English. Publishers only are invited to submit collections of poetry in traditional print format each calendar year.

• Hollis Summers Poetry Prize

  http://www.ohioswallow.com/poetry_prize
  Seeks manuscript collections of unpublished poems. Prize: $500 cash, plus publication. Reading fee: $15. Deadline: October 31.

• Hungry Hill Writing - Wild Atlantic Words

  http://www.hungryhillwriting.com/competitions.html
  Open poetry competition. Yearly.

• Indiana Review's Poetry Prize

  http://indianareview.org/
  Seeks previously unpublished poetry. No restrictions on length or form. Prize is a $1000 honorarium and publication in the magazine. All entries considered for publication. Reading Fee: $15. Deadline: March 31.

• Juniper Prize for Poetry Contest

  http://www.umass.edu/umpress/juniper.html
  Original manuscripts of at least fifty pages are sought by The University of Massachusetts Press which will publish the winning collection of original poetry. Entry fee: $20. Submissions accepted August1 through September 30.

• Lois Cranston Memorial Poetry Prize

  http://www.calyxpress.org/lois.html
  Publication plus $300 award. Postmarked March 1 through May 31. There is a $15 fee per entry. Women writers only.

• Lost Horse Press

  http://www.losthorsepress.org/
  The Idaho Prize is open to U.S. authors only. It offers $1000 plus publication for a book-length poetry manuscript of 48 pages or more. Entry fee: $25. Deadline: May 15.

• MAG Poetry Competition

  http://www.poeticrepublic.com/
  Poetry competition judged by the entrants themselves. Single poem contest. Entry fee £6, prize fund accumulates at £2 per entry to £10,000. Deadline: April 30.

• Margaret Reid Poetry Prize for Traditional Verse

  http://www.poetrycontests.exactpages.com/
  Annual awards totaling $2,000 (including a $1,000 First Prize) are made for poems in traditional verse forms. Any variations on metrical, rhyming and/or formal poems are eligible. The judge's interpretation of "traditional" is loose rather than strict. No restriction on previous publication or previous awards. Minimum: 25 lines. Maximum: No limit. Minimum entry fee: $5. Closing date: June 30.

• May Swenson Poetry Award

  http://upcolorado.com/may-swenson-poetry-award
  Seeks original manuscripts, 50-100 pages, on any theme. University Press of Colorado.

• Meridian Editors’ Prize

  http://www.readmeridian.org/
  Annual poetry contest for a single poem (up to 2 pages). 1st prize $1,000, entry fee $16. Deadline: 6th January.

• National Schools Project

  http://www.youngpoets.com/
  A site dedicated to the young poet. Submit poetry for the possibility of being published in the Young American Poetry Digest.

• Ohio State University Press Poetry Contest

  https://ohiostatepress.org/
  A $2,000 poetry contest for book-length manuscripts (at least 48 pages), sponsored by the Ohio State University's literary magazine, "The Journal". Reading fee: $25. Entries must be postmarked during the month of September.

• Poetry Kit Directory of Competitions

  http://www.poetrykit.org/comps.htm
  A listing of worldwide, English-language poetry contests, including those who do not maintain a web site.

• Poetry London

  http://www.poetrylondon.co.uk/
  One of Britain's leading poetry magazines, features original poems, and reviews, and sponsors a rewarding annual contest for unpublished poems, less than 80 lines in length.

• Reuben Rose Annual Poetry Competition

  http://www.freewebs.com/voicesisrael/
  Annual competition seeks poems on general themes, not more than forty lines in length. Three monetary prizes totalling $800, also honarary mentions. All poems judged anonymously. Entry fee: $5. per poem. Deadline each year-: October 7.

• Ruth Stone Prize in Poetry

  http://www.hungermtn.org/
  Annual poetry contest for a single poem. 1st prize $1,000, entry fee $20. Deadline: 10th December.

• Seven Hills Literary & Penumbra Poetry Contest

  https://sevenhillsreview.submittable.com/submit
  Annual poetry contest offers prize money for poetry and haiku.

• Slipstream Press Poetry Contest

  http://www.slipstreampress.org/
  An annual poetry chapbook contest, worth $1,000, seeking up to forty pages of poetry in any style, format or theme. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: December 1, each year.

• The Christopher Tower Poetry Competition

  http://www.towerpoetry.org.uk/competitions/
  An annual, themed poetry competition for 16-18yr olds, with cash prizes for both the winning students and their schools or colleges.

• The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Awards

  http://www.cgu.edu/tufts
  An annual award of $100,000 is offered for a published book of original poetry by a U.S. citizen or legal resident alien.

• The Plough Prize

  http://www.theploughprize.co.uk/
  Established international poetry competition. Open Poem, Short Poem and Poem for Children categories. £1700 prize fund, online or postal entry available.

• Tom Howard Poetry Contest

  http://tomhowardpoetry.bravepages.com/
  Annual contest, closing September 30, seeks original poems in any style, on any theme, and of any length. Published verse and simultaneous submissions are okay. Prize money totals $2,000, including a First Prize of $1,000. All prizewinners also receive a free copy of the Anthology of winning entries. Entry fee is $5 for every 25 lines.

• Tom Howard/ Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

  https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/tom-howard-margaret-reid-poetry-contest
  Published and unpublished poetry in any style. Or, traditional rhyming style for another prize.

• Utmost Christian Poetry Contest

  http://www.utmostchristianwriters.com/
  Annual Christian poetry contest, closing each February, offers $4000 in cash prizes with other poetry contests year round.

• Voices Network

  http://www.voicesnet.com/
  Features quarterly poetry competitions, with no entry fees. Open to all, though entries from children are judged by less strict criteria. Cash prizes total $175.

• Wax Poetry and Art

  http://waxpoetryart.com/contests/poetry.html
  Free contests. Up to 3 poems may be submitted.

• Winning Writers

  http://www.winningwriters.com/
  Offers several annual competitions, among them a contest on the specific theme of War and a parody competition. Includes link lists, recommendations for reading and an online guide to poetry contests for subscribers.

• Writers Forum magazine

  http://writers-forum.com/
  Leading UK creative writing magazine running a monthly poetry competition. £100 first prize plus publication. No deadline as competition is continuous. Free tick-box critiques, international entries welcomed.

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• Home > Arts > Writers Resources > Poetry
• Home > Arts > Online Writing > Poetry > Showcases

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