A Poetry Prize Without Borders
New Directions, Fitzcarraldo Editions, and Giramondo partner for a new translated poetry prize, connecting literary communities across the globe.
Tags:
Genre: Poetry
Small Press Points: 42 Miles
Founded in 2010 at Indiana University in South Bend, 42 Miles Press publishes “stirring, daring” poetry and encourages authors to submit work they “might be afraid to send elsewhere.”
Tags:
Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined
Caption:
In this trailer for PBS’s American Masters documentary Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined, the life and work of the acclaimed Dominican American poet and novelist is explored through interviews, photographs, and archives. A profile of Alvarez about her new poetry collection, Visitations (Knopf, 2026), appears in the May/June 2026 issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
Just the Right Distance
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.
Ten Questions for Soham Patel
“In truth, I am still writing The Daughter Industry and likely won’t stop.” —Soham Patel, author of The Daughter Industry
Tags:
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:
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:
Ottoline Prize
Fence
Entry Fee:
$25
Deadline:
May 31, 2026
A prize of $5,000, publication by Fence Books (with distribution by Consortium), and 40 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet who identifies as a woman and/or female, including trans women and people of variable gender who were assigned female at birth (AFAB). The winner will also receive a two-week residency at the Eliot House in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of at least 50 pages with a $25 entry fee, which includes a two-issue subscription to Fence, by May 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Cow Creek Chapbook Prize
Pittsburg State University
Entry Fee:
$15
Deadline:
May 15, 2026
A prize of $1,000, publication by Pittsburg State University, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Using only the online submissions system, submit manuscript of 15 to 30 pages with a $15 entry fee by May 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Poetry Book Prize
Gaudy Boy
Entry Fee:
$10
Deadline:
June 1, 2026
A grant of $1,500 and publication by Gaudy Boy, an imprint of the New York City–based literary nonprofit Singapore Unbound, is given annually for a poetry collection by a writer of Asian heritage residing anywhere in the world. Gwee Li Sui will judge. Submit a manuscript of 70 to 120 pages and a cover letter via e-mail with a $10 entry fee (to be sent separately via PayPal) by June 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Pages
