Genre: Poetry

PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants

PEN America
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
June 15, 2026
Ten grants of $4,000 each are given annually to support the translation of book-length works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction that have not previously appeared in English or have appeared only in an “outdated or otherwise flawed translation.” A grant of $5,000, called the PEN Grant for the English Translation of Italian Literature, is also given to support the translation of a book of fiction or nonfiction from Italian into English. Manuscripts with up to two translators are accepted. Using only the online submission system, submit a translation sample of 8 to 10 pages of poetry or prose, a copy of the same passage in the original language, a biography and bibliography of the translated author, a project statement, and a curriculum vitae by June 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Grants for Artist Projects

Artist Trust
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
June 22, 2026
Grants of $2,500 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers who are residents of Washington State. Students enrolled in a degree-granting program are ineligible. Using only the online submission system, submit a writing sample of up to 10 pages of poetry, prose, or hybrid-genre work with a project description, a statement about how funding will support the progress of the work, and a brief bio by June 22. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Idaho Prize for Poetry

Lost Horse Press
Entry Fee: 
$28
Deadline: 
May 15, 2026
A prize of $1,000, publication by Lost Horse Press, and 20 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages with a $28 entry fee by May 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Canadian First Book Prize

Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
June 19, 2026
A prize of $10,000 Canadian (approximately $7,299) is awarded annually for a debut poetry collection by a living citizen or permanent resident of Canada published during the previous year. The winner is also offered a six-week fellowship with the Civitella Ranieri Foundation in Perugia, Italy. For the 2027 prize, publishers may submit four copies of a book of at least 48 pages in length published between January 1 and June 30 by June 19. The deadline for submitting books published during the second half of the year is December 18. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

Gravity of Kindness

The Time Is Now
4.7.26

Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Kindness,” which appears in her 1995 book, Words Under the Words: Selected Poems, begins: “Before you know what kindness really is / you must lose things….” The next two stanzas start similarly with: “Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness / you must travel…” and “Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, / you must know sorrow….” Compose a three-stanza poem that takes a cue from this parallel structure, starting the first line of each stanza with: “Before you know _____, you must _____.” Think about a quality, such as kindness, that you highly value and how your understanding of it has changed over time. What are the lessons you have learned and what do you hope to pass on to others?

Aurora Writers Workshop

May/June 2026

The 2026 Aurora Writers Workshop will be held from June 5 to June 7 at several locations throughout downtown Aurora, Illinois. The workshop will feature small-group craft workshops, a keynote address, a group dinner with a faculty reading, an open mic reading, and generative writing sessions for poets and fiction writers. The faculty includes poet Faisal Mohyuddin and fiction writer Meg Cass. Poet and fiction writer M. Rae Henry will give the keynote address. The cost of the conference, which includes one dinner and a continental breakfast on Sunday, is $200.

Type: 
CONFERENCE
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
no
Event Date: 
June 5, 2026
Rolling Admissions: 
yes
Application Deadline: 
June 29, 2026
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
June 29, 2026
Free Admission: 
no
Contact Information: 

Aurora Writers Workshop, 1030 Northfield Drive, Aurora, IL 60505. Kristin LaTour, President.

Kristin LaTour
President
Contact City: 
Aurora
Contact State: 
IL
Country: 
US
Genre: 
Poetry
Fiction

Talismans

The Time Is Now
3.31.26

In a recent piece published on Literary Hub, Maggie Smith describes her writing space—the objects she considers talismans, the furnishings, and accessories that surround her as she works. Some notable items include: her clear desk from CB2, black Uni-Ball Vision Elite pens, an Audre Lorde postcard from a friend, a fortune cookie message, and a card from her high school English teacher. Compose a series of short poems that zero in on a few favorite tools or accoutrements that you like to use or have with you when you write. Include details of the brands, types, and personal touches of each item. What memories are associated with them? How can you combine functional physical descriptions in your verse with thoughtful reflections of what these objects bring to mind?

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