Poetry Contests
by Grace Tierney
Let us help you to find the perfect writing contest to enter and leave you free to do what you’re good at -- writing your entry.
I confess, I can’t write poetry. I can craft the odd ditty, but I wish that poetry ran in my veins, because I have discovered a veritable plethora of verse contests out there for inclusion in this article. I also stumbled across several for haiku and poetry collections, but I’ll cover those at a later date.
I was delighted to discover that poetry is still important enough in this busy modern world to merit a national day in the UK - October 7, to be exact - and you can get more details at the poetry society Website (http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/). Even better, there’s an entire month dedicated in the US - have a look at http://www.infoplease.com/spot/pmonth1.html.
The Internet is awash with poetry-writing sites, but some of the most comprehensive include the American Poetry Journal (http://veenet.value.net/~dbear/apj_contest.html), a beautifully designed site with plenty of practical advice on life as a working poet (http://www.workingpoet.com/) and a portal site full of resources on all aspects of writing poetry and getting it published (http://www.poetry-portal.com/poetry.html). Now just remember to drag yourself away from those sites for long enough to write a poem to submit to the large selection of poetry contests listed below.
You’ll also find my regular round-up of contest deadlines for the month at the bottom of this page.
Happy Writing and Good Luck!
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All contests are annual unless otherwise noted
Wild Plum Poetry Contest
http://www.wildplumpoetry.com/wild_plum_003.htm
January, 15
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Byline Contests
http://www.bylinemag.com/contests.asp
monthly
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Salt Hill Poetry Contest
http://students.syr.edu/salthill/
to be announced
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Academi Cardiff International Poetry Competition
http://www.academi.org/main.cfm?language=english#
Jan 30
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The Diner Poetry Contest
http://www.spokenword.to/diner
Jan 31
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The Olympia Poetry Network Lohmann Poetry Prize
http://www.thurston.com/~yake/opn.lohmann.htm
Jan 31
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Randall Jarrell/Harperprints Poetry Chapbook Contest
http://www.ncwriters.org/harper.htm
Jan 31
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Jim Wayne Miller Poetry Prize
http://kentuckywriters.org/miller.htm
Jan 31
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The W.B. Yeats Society of New York Poetry Competition
http://www.yeatssociety.org/contest.html
February 15
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Margin Short Fiction and Free Verse Contests
http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/margin/contests.html
February 15
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Strokestown Poetry Prize
http://www.strokestownpoetryprize.com/
February 18
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The ALSOP Review Contest
http://www.alsopreview.com/Main/competition.html
February 28
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Tiger's Eye Journal Contest
http://www.tigerseyejournal.com/contest_guidelines.htm
Twice each year, February 28 and August 31
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Washington Poets Contest
http://www.washingtonpoets.org/wpoets/AdultContestForm.pdf
March 1
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MALAHAT REVIEW
http://web.uvic.ca/malahat/guidelines.htm
March 1
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Newburyport Art Association Poetry Contest
http://www.newburyportart.org
March 15
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One-page Poem Contest
http://www.saturdaywriters.org/index.htm
March 31
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Mattia Family Poetry Contest
http://www.mattia.ca
March 31 or Oct 31
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The Poetry Life Magazine Open Poetry Competition
http://freespace.virgin.net/poetry.life/
March 31
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Wergle Flomp Poetry Contest
http://www.winningwriters.com
April 1
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The People Before Profits Poetry Prize
http://www.bbbooks.com/contests.html
April 1
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Ultra Short Competition
http://www.umm.maine.edu/binnacle/short.asp
April 15
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The Pablo Neruda Prize
http://www.utulsa.edu/nimrod
April 30
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The Annie Finch Prize For Poetry
http://www.angelfire.com/in/birdsong/prize.html
April 30
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LOIS CRANSTON POETRY PRIZE
http://www.proaxis.com/~calyx/04-lois-cranston-rules.html
May 31
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War Poetry Contest
http://www.winningwriters.com/annualcontest.htm
May 31
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Boston Review Poetry Contest
http://www.bostonreview.net/
June 1
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Robert Penn Warren Awards
http://www.newenglandwriters.org
June 15
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The Great Blue Beacon Short-Short Story and Poetry Contests
http://ajircc@juno.com
June 20
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The Little Bitty Poetry Competition
http://www.shadowpoetry.com/contests/littlebittycontest.html
June 30
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SPS Studios Poetry Card Contest
http://www.sps.com/b/poetry/contest/poetrycontest.htm
June 30
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Bridport Poetry and Short Story Competition
http://www.bridportprize.org.uk/competition.htm
June 30
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The Ekphrasis Prize
http://hometown.aol.com/artspoetry
June 30
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Panama City Writers Association
http://www.panamacitywriters.org/contest.htm
June 30
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Rhyme Time Poetry Contest
http://www.shadowpoetry.com/contests/rhymetime.html
June 30
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American Poetry Journal Contest
http://veenet.value.net/~dbear/apj_contest.html
June 30
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Penumbra Poetry and Haiku Contest
http://www.twaonline.org/contests.htm
June 30
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Poetry on the Lake Poetry Competition
http://www.orta.net/poetry
June 30
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The Sara Henderson Hay Prize
http://www.city-net.com/~tpq/
July 1
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Wells Festival of Literature Competition
http://www.somersite.co.uk/storyrules.htm
July 31
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The Aldrich Poetry Competition
http://www.aldrichart.org/performingartspoetry.html
September 30
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Ginbender Poetry Contest
http://www.ginbender.com/Contest.html
August 1
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feile filiochta International Poetry Contest
http://www.dlrcoco.ie/library
August 28
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Writers Journal Poetry Contest
http://www.writersjournal.com/poetry.htm
August, December, and April 30
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Helen Schaible Shakespearian or Petrarchan Sonnet Contest
http://www.illinoispoets.org
September 1 (there are other types of poetry contests at this site also)
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Cowboy Poetry Contest
http://www.bcchs.com/clinton.html
September 1
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Dr. Maximilian Tundra Memorial Poetry and Short Speculative Fiction Contest
http://www.emilychesley.com/contest
September 14
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The Battle of the Bards Poetry Competition
http://www.writelink.co.uk
October 11
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Stevens Poetry Contest
http://www.nfsps.com/stevens1.htm
October 15
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Barnard College New Women Poets Prize
http://www.barnard.edu/english/wpprize.html
October 15
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The New Writer Contests
htpp://www.thenewwriter.com
October 31
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New Millenium Awards
http://www.mach2.com/books/NewMillenniumWritings/awards.html
June 17
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NLAPW Nob Hill Branch Writing Contest
http://www.soulmakingcontest.us/page3.html
November 30
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OnceWritten.com's Winter Poetry Contest
http://www.oncewritten.com/
December 15
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Coming Soon to the Writing Contest Department
Forthcoming features will focus on contests for full-length books, sci-fi, fantasy, poetry collections, horror, contests for young writers, personal essays, plays, screenplays, haiku, quirky contests, non-fiction writing, no-fee contests, humor writing, short story contests, travel writing, and even contests with unusual prizes.
I’m always looking for new contest types to research so if you’re looking for one, just drop me a line. I’d also love to hear from you if you win a contest you read about here or if you have a contest to suggest for inclusion. Please note that I will only include contests which are open to writers anywhere in the world as our readers are geographically dispersed.
Contest Deadlines from 11 June to 10 July
June 15
Poetry
Robert Penn Warren Awards
http://www.newenglandwriters.org
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June 15
short fiction
Short Fiction Contest
http://www.newenglandwriters.org
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June 15
short fiction
The Chiaroscuro Short Story Contest
http://thechiaroscuro.com/
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June 15
play
The Nancy Weil New Play Search
http://www.fireflyprod.com
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June 15
short fiction
Doris Gooderson Short Story Competition
http://members.lycos.co.uk/wrekinwriters/
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June 18
Short fiction
Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangster Prize
http://www.juked.com/prize
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June 20
flash fiction and poetry
The Great Blue Beacon Short-Short Story and Poetry Contests
htpp://ajircc@juno.com
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June 30
short fiction
Whim’s Place Changing of the Seasons Flash Fiction Writing Contest
http://www.whimsplace.com/contest/contest.asp
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June 30
poetry
The Little Bitty Poetry Competition
http://www.shadowpoetry.com/contests/littlebittycontest.html
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June 30
fiction and non-fiction
Intergenerational Story Telling Contest
http://www.intergenerationday.org/contest.html
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June 30
song
The UK Songwriting Contest
http://www.songwritingcontest.co.uk/
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June 30
collections of poetry
Autumn House Press Poetry Contest
http://www.autumnhouse.org/
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June 30
poetry
SPS Studios Poetry Card Contest
http://www.sps.com/b/poetry/contest/poetrycontest.htm
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June 30
poetry and short fiction
Bridport Poetry and Short Story Competition
www.bridportprize.org.uk/competition.htm
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June 30
short fiction - Crime/Whodunnit and Science Fiction
PlaneTree
http://www.planetreecompetitions.co.uk/index.html
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June 30
novel for middle-grade readers
Delacorte Contest
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/games/marguerite.html
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June 30
poetry
The Ekphrasis Prize
http://hometown.aol.com/artspoetry
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June 30
Creative non-fiction, short fiction, rhyming and non-rhyming poetry
Panama City Writers Association
http://www.panamacitywriters.org/contest.htm
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June 30
poetry
Rhyme Time Poetry Contest
http://www.shadowpoetry.com/contests/rhymetime.html
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June 30
short fiction and poetry in free verse format
Margin Short Fiction and Free Verse Contests
http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/margin/contests.html
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June 30
personal essay
TooWrite
http://www.toowrite.com/
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June 30
poetry
American Poetry Journal Contest
http://veenet.value.net/~dbear/apj_contest.html
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June 30
poetry and haiku
Penumbra Poetry and Haiku Contest
http://www.twaonline.org/contests.htm
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June 30
Children's Literature
Tallahassee Writers Children's Literature Contest
http://www.twaonline.org/contests.htm
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June 30
poetry
Poetry on the Lake Poetry Competition
http://www.orta.net/poetry
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July 1
non-fiction essay
Richard J. Margolis Award
http://www.margolis.com/award/index.html
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July 1
short fiction
Baltimore Review Short Fiction Contest
http://www.baltimorereview.org/contest.html
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July 1
short fiction
Momaya Short Story Competition
http://www.momayapress.com/
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July 1
various categories, all cat related
The International Cat Writers' Association Writing Competition
http://www.catwriters.org
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July 1
mystery book manuscript
Mysterious Press Sara Ann Freed Memorial Award
http://www.twbookmark.com/mystery/saraannfreed.html
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July 1
poetry
The Sara Henderson Hay Prize
http://www.city-net.com/~tpq/
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July 1
literary fiction
Word Smitten Literary Fiction Competition
http://www.wordsmitten.com/fiction.html
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Grace Tierney is a freelance writer who lives in Ireland. When she’s not researching writing contests, she enjoys gluttony, reading, gardening, and travel. Her short stories have been published in the US and UK, and her non-fiction has been published in Ireland, the UK, America, and Australia. She is a staff writer with Writer Online and Netsurfer Digest. Grace may be contacted via www.gracetierney.com |
