Genre: Poetry

Summer Senses

6.16.26

Jane Kenyon’s poem “Three Songs at the End of Summer” features three portraits of late summer, each evoking its own distinct sounds, moods, and atmosphere. The first section of the poem begins with “a second crop of hay” and “five gleaming crows,” continues through the sights and sounds of summer camp, and ends with a couplet that gestures to autumn: “Schoolbooks, carpools, pleated skirts; / water, silver-still, and a vee of geese.” The second section consists of two three-line stanzas infused with the sound of cicadas, and in the final section, Kenyon explicitly reaches back in time to the speaker’s childhood and the scent of a damp dirt road on a foggy morning. Taking inspiration from this structure, write a three-part poem that explores a few resonant memories of the end of summer—fleeting images and sounds and smells of various activities. Experiment with sections of varying lengths to create dramatic effect.

Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition

Munster Literature Centre
Entry Fee: 
$29
Deadline: 
August 31, 2026

A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,175); publication by Southword Editions, Munster Literature Centre’s publishing imprint; and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry

Ambroggio Prize

Academy of American Poets
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
September 15, 2026
A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Arizona Press is given annually for a poetry collection originally written in Spanish by a living writer and translated into English. Roque Raquel Salas Rivera will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 48 to 100 pages in the original Spanish along with the English translation by September 15. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Radcliffe Institute Fellowships

Harvard University
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
September 10, 2026
Fellowships of $78,000 each, as well as office space at the Radcliffe Institute and access to the libraries at Harvard University, are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers to allow them to pursue innovative projects. Fellows, who are expected to reside in Cambridge, Massachusetts, or the surrounding Boston area during the fellowship period, September through May, also receive $5,000 to cover project expenses. Poets who have published a full-length collection or at least 20 poems in magazines or anthologies in the last five years and who are in the process of completing a manuscript are eligible. Fiction and nonfiction writers who have published one or more books, have a book-length manuscript under contract for publication, or have published at least three shorter works are eligible. Writers who are graduate students or enrolled in a degree-granting program at the time of application are not eligible. For 2027–2028 fellowships, submit up to 10 poems of any length or a short story, a recent book chapter, or an essay totaling no more than 30 pages; a curriculum vitae; a project proposal; and contact information for three references by September 10 at 5 PM EDT. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

First Book Award

Academy of American Poets
Entry Fee: 
$35
Deadline: 
September 1, 2026
A prize of $5,000 and publication by Graywolf Press is given annually for a poetry collection by a writer who has not published a book of poetry in a standard edition. The winning book will be distributed to over 5,000 members of the Academy of American Poets. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 48 to 100 pages with a $35 entry fee (fee waivers may be requested via e-mail) from July 1 to September 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Oregon Book Awards

Literary Arts
Entry Fee: 
$55
Deadline: 
September 4, 2026
Four prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for books of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and general nonfiction published in the current year by writers living in Oregon. Publishers, authors, and members of the public may submit three copies of a book published between September 1, 2025, and August 31, 2026, with a $55 entry fee by September 4. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

Creative Writing Award

Aesthetica
Entry Fee: 
$16
Deadline: 
August 31, 2026
Two prizes of £2,500 (approximately $3,383) each and publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing anthology are given annually for a poem and a short story. In addition, the winner in poetry receives a membership to the Poetry Society in London, a course from the arts organization Poetry School, and two online master classes from the creative writing nonprofit Arvon. The winner in short fiction receives a five-day online course from Arvon and a consultation with the literary agency Redhammer Management. Both winners receive subscriptions to Granta, London Magazine, and Mslexia; a membership to Litopia, an online writers community; and a six-week writing course from Curtis Brown Creative. Using only the online submission system, submit a poem of up to 40 lines with a £12 (approximately $16) entry fee or a short story of up to 2,000 words with an £18 (approximately $24) entry fee by August 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Oregon Literary Fellowships

Literary Arts
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
August 7, 2026
Fellowships of $4,000 each are given annually to aid Oregon writers in initiating, developing, or completing literary projects in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. These include one Women Writers Fellowship and one Writers of Color Fellowship. In addition, two Oregon Literary Career Fellowships of $10,000 each are awarded to writers who demonstrate exceptional talent; one of these two fellowships is reserved for a writer of color. Using only the online submission system, submit up to 15 pages of poetry or no more than 25 pages of prose (with an artist’s statement and an impact statement for those applying for Oregon Literary Career Fellowships) by August 7. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Literary Awards

American Literary Review
Entry Fee: 
$15
Deadline: 
September 1, 2026
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in American Literary Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of any length or 8,000 words of prose with a $15 entry fee by September 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Literary Awards

Los Angeles Review
Entry Fee: 
$20
Deadline: 
July 31, 2026
Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Los Angeles Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, a work of flash fiction, and an essay. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of no more than 50 lines each, a short story or an essay of up to 2,500 words, or a work of flash fiction of no more than 1,000 words with a $20 entry fee by July 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

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