Genre: Poetry

Backwaters Prize in Poetry

Backwaters Press
Entry Fee: 
$32
Deadline: 
May 1, 2025
A prize of $2,000 and publication by Backwaters Press, an imprint of University of Nebraska Press, is given annually for a poetry collection. An honorable mention prize of $1,000 and publication by Backwaters Press is also given. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 60 to 85 pages with a $32 entry fee by May 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Open Competition

National Poetry Series
Entry Fee: 
$35
Deadline: 
March 21, 2025
Five prizes of $10,000 each and publication by participating trade, university, or small press publishers are given annually for poetry collections by U.S. poets. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 48 to 64 pages with a $35 entry fee by March 21. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Tags: 
book awards

Tomaž Šalamun Prize

Verse
Entry Fee: 
$17
Deadline: 
March 15, 2025
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Factory Hollow Press is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The winner also receives a monthlong residency in a private apartment at the Tomaž Šalamun Centre for Poetry in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in summer 2026. Prose poetry, hybrid works, and translations of works of poetry by living writers from any language into English (with the relevant permission) are also eligible. Graham Foust will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 20 to 28 pages with a $17 entry fee ($13 for students) by March 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation

Banipal Trust for Arab Literature
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
March 31, 2025
A prize of £3,000 (approximately $3,669) 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 or after 1967 are eligible. Publishers may submit five copies of a book in English translation published between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, with four copies of the original work and a digital copy in both languages by March 31. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

Literary Prizes

New Ohio Review
Entry Fee: 
$22
Deadline: 
April 15, 2025
Three prizes of $1,500 each and publication in New Ohio Review are given annually for a poem or group of poems, a short story, and an essay. Submit a poem or group of poems of up to six pages or a story or essay of up to 20 pages with a $22 entry fee, which includes a subscription to New Ohio Review, by April 15. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Winning Writers
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
April 1, 2025
A prize of $2,000, a gift certificate for a two-year membership to the literary database Duotrope, and publication on the Winning Writers website is given annually for a humorous poem. A second-place prize of $500 is also awarded. Jendi Reiter and Lauren Singer will judge. Unpublished and previously published works are eligible. Using only the online submission system, submit a poem of up to 250 lines by April 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry

Beloit Poetry Journal
Entry Fee: 
$15
Deadline: 
April 30, 2025
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Beloit Poetry Journal is given annually for a single poem. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems totaling no more than 10 pages with a $15 entry fee by April 30. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Book Award

Noemi Press
Entry Fee: 
$25
Deadline: 
May 1, 2025
A prize of $2,000 and publication by Noemi Press is given annually for a poetry collection. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of any length with a $25 entry fee by May 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Annual Writing Competition

Writer’s Digest
Entry Fee: 
$20
Deadline: 
May 5, 2025
A prize of $5,000, an interview in Writer’s Digest, and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference is given annually for a single poem, a short story, or an essay (among other categories). Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication on the Writer’s Digest website are also given for a rhyming poem, a non-rhyming poem, a short story, and a personal essay. Using only the online submission system, submit a poem of up to 40 lines, a story of no more than 4,000 words, or an essay of up to 2,000 words by the early bird deadline of May 5. The entry fee for poetry is $20 ($15 for each additional poem); the entry fee for prose is $30 ($25 for each additional entry). Visit the website for complete guidelines.

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