Genre: Poetry

Just the Right Distance

The Time Is Now
4.14.26

In an essay recently published in the Evergreen Review, Eric Dean Wilson writes about discovering the playful use of metaphors in Robert Glück’s 1985 debut novel, Jack the Modernist. While considering what makes one work, Wilson recalls another writer teaching him about metaphor with a metaphor. “A metaphor, the writer said, is like a spark plug,” he says. “At just the right distance, the electrodes cause a spark to arc across the open air, igniting an explosion. The distance between the electrodes matters.” This week compose a poem that cycles through the process of creating an effective metaphor. You might start with the words, “A metaphor is like….” Allow yourself the freedom to play with language that might feel too convoluted as you gradually move toward the right combination to ignite a spark.

Annie Wenstrup and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha

Caption: 

In this event at the University of Arizona Poetry Center, Annie Wenstrup reads from her debut collection, The Museum of Unnatural Histories (Wesleyan University Press, 2025), and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha reads from her latest collection, Something About Living (University of Akron Press, 2024).

Genre: 
Poetry
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Annie Wenstrup
The Museum of Unnatural Histories
Wesleyan University Press
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha
Something About Living
University of Akron Press
University of Arizona Poetry Center
reading
2026

A Celebration of Arab American Heritage and National Poetry Month

Caption: 

In this New York Public Library event celebrating Arab American Heritage Month and National Poetry Month hosted in partnership with the Radius of Arab American Writers, poets Maha Hashwi, Ghinwa Jawhari, Lawrence Joseph, and Kamelya Omayma Youssef read from their work and discuss their writing in a conversation with senior librarian Reuben Gelley Newman.

Genre: 
Poetry
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New York Public Library
RAWI
Maha Hashwi
Ghinwa Jawhari
Lawrence Joseph
Kamelya Omayma Youssef
Arab American
National Poetry Month
2026

Poetry Prize

Autumn House Press
Entry Fee: 
$30
Deadline: 
June 30, 2026
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Autumn House Press is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner also receives a $1,500 travel and publicity grant. Felicia Zamora will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 50 to 80 pages with a $30 entry fee by June 30. Financial assistance is available upon request. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Poetry and Short Fiction Awards

Moon City Press
Entry Fee: 
$27
Deadline: 
June 1, 2026
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by Moon City Press are given annually for a poetry collection and a short story collection. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages of poetry or 30,000 to 65,000 words of a short story collection (novellas may be included in the short story collection) with a $27 entry fee by June 1. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Griffin Poetry Prize

Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
June 19, 2026
A prize of $130,000 Canadian (approximately $94,891) is given annually for a poetry collection written in or translated into English by a living poet or translator from anywhere in the world and published during the previous year. Finalists receive $10,000 Canadian (approximately $7,299) each for their participation in the shortlisted authors event to be held in Toronto in June. Should the prize-winning book be a translation, 60 percent of the prize is awarded to the translator and 40 percent to the poet. 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 to submit 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.

Poetry Book Prize

Barrow Street Press
Entry Fee: 
$30
Deadline: 
June 30, 2026
A prize of $1,500 and publication by Barrow Street Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Srikanth Reddy will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 50 to 80 pages with a $30 entry fee by June 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

National Book Awards

National Book Foundation
Entry Fee: 
$135
Deadline: 
May 13, 2026
Four prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for books of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and young people’s literature written by U.S. writers and published in the United States during the previous year. A $10,000 prize is also given for an English translation of a book of fiction or nonfiction by a living writer and translator published in the United States during the previous year. Finalists in all categories receive $1,000 each. Using the online submission form, publishers may submit titles published or scheduled for publication between December 1, 2025, and November 30, 2026, with a $135 entry fee per title by May 13. Additionally, a digital copy and six hard copies (or bound galleys) of the books must be submitted to the judges and the National Book Foundation by June 5. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
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book awards

Prizes in Poetry and Prose

Bellevue Literary Review
Entry Fee: 
$20
Deadline: 
July 1, 2026
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Bellevue Literary Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay about health, healing, illness, the body, or the mind. Natalie Diaz will judge in poetry, Daniel Mason will judge in fiction, and Meghan O’Rourke will judge in creative nonfiction. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems totaling no more than five pages or up to 5,000 words of prose with a $20 entry fee by July 1. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

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