Genre: Poetry

John Lewis Writing Grants

Georgia Writers
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
October 1, 2025
Three grants of $500 each are given annually in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction to “elevate, encourage, and inspire the voices of Black writers in Georgia.” Grantees also receive a scholarship to attend and present a reading at the Red Clay Writers Conference, held in March 2026 at Kennesaw State University in Marietta, Georgia. Black writers who have been residents of Georgia for at least one year (or who are full-time students at a Georgia college or university at the time of application and on the date of the award) and who have published no more than one book are eligible to apply. Submit a poetry or prose writing sample of up to 10 pages and an artist’s statement of no more than 500 words discussing your work and goals as a writer by October 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for an application and complete guidelines.

Perugia Press Prize

Perugia Press
Entry Fee: 
$15
Deadline: 
November 15, 2025
A prize of $2,000, publication by Perugia Press, and 20 author copies is given annually for a first or second poetry collection by a writer who identifies as a woman, including all gender-expansive definitions of that term. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 45 to 85 pages with either a $30 entry fee, which includes a Perugia Press title, or a $15 reduced-rate fee by November 15. Fee waivers are available for BIWOC poets. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition

Yale University Press
Entry Fee: 
$25
Deadline: 
November 15, 2025
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Yale University Press is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet who has not published a full-length book of poetry and who resides in the United States. The winner also receives a writing fellowship at the James Merrill House in Stonington, Connecticut. Monica Youn will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 90 pages with a $25 entry fee by November 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Editors’ Poetry & Prose Prize

Action, Spectacle
Entry Fee: 
$20
Deadline: 
October 1, 2025
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Action, Spectacle is given annually for a poem, a short work of fiction, or a short work of creative nonfiction. Using only the online submission system, submit any number of poems totaling up to 10 pages or a short story, essay, or excerpt from a longer work of no more than 8,500 words with a $20 entry fee by October 1. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Morton Marcus Memorial Poetry Prize

Hive Poetry Collective
Entry Fee: 
$18
Deadline: 
September 30, 2025
A prize of $1,000 and an invitation to read at the University of California in Santa Cruz in November will be given annually for a poem. Nancy Miller Gomez will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a poem of up to two pages with an $18 entry fee by September 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Prizes in Books

Pulitzer Prizes
Entry Fee: 
$75
Deadline: 
October 15, 2025
Six prizes of $15,000 each are given annually for books of poetry, fiction, general nonfiction, U.S. history, biography, and memoir first published in the United States during the current year. Eligible authors include U.S. citizens and permanent residents or those who have made the United States their longtime primary home. Using only the online submission system, submit a digital copy of a book published in 2025 with a $75 entry fee by October 15. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

Evaristo Prize for African Poetry

African Poetry Book Fund
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
November 1, 2025
A prize of $1,500 is given annually for a group of poems by an African poet who has not published a full-length collection. Writers who were born in Africa, who are nationals or residents of an African country, or whose parents are African are eligible. Using only the online submission system, submit 10 published or unpublished poems of up to 40 lines each by November 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Alice James Award

Alice James Books
Entry Fee: 
$30
Deadline: 
October 17, 2025
A prize of $2,000 and publication by Alice James Books is given annually for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 100 pages with a $30 entry fee by October 17. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Writing Fellowships

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
September 16, 2025
Fellowships of approximately $60,000 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers on the basis of “exceptional creative ability.” Citizens and permanent residents of the United States and Canada who are midcareer professionals and have “already made significant contributions to their field” are eligible. Using only the online submission system, submit a career summary, a list of publications, a three-page project proposal, and contact information for up to four references by September 16. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Tags: 
grants

Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award

Red Hen Press
Entry Fee: 
$25
Deadline: 
October 31, 2025
A prize of $3,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Brenda Cardenas will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 48 to 96 pages with a $25 entry fee by October 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

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