Genre: Poetry

Associations of Love

The Time Is Now
2.10.26

“I love snow and briefly. / I love the first minutes in a warm room after stepping out of the cold. / I love my twenties and want them back every day. / I love time. / I love people. / I love people and my time away from them the most.” In his poem “Love,” published in the American Poetry Review, Alex Dimitrov lists dozens of beloved things, each line beginning simply with, “I love.” The items listed often play off of each other and seem to meander associatively, in a stream-of-consciousness manner. Compose a poem that uses a list format to meditate on things you love. You might begin each line with a repeated phrase, or allow the entire poem to encompass one long list. Try experimenting with associative thinking, fluctuations of line length, and playful tones.

Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry

Beloit Poetry Journal
Entry Fee: 
$15
Deadline: 
April 30, 2026
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Beloit Poetry Journal is given annually for a single poem. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems totaling no more than 10 pages with a $15 entry fee by April 30. All entries are considered for publication. A limited number of fee waivers, based on financial need, are available upon request. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Loraine Williams Poetry Prize

Georgia Review
Entry Fee: 
$25
Deadline: 
May 15, 2026
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Georgia Review is given annually for a single poem. Brian Teare will judge. Submit up to three poems totaling no more than 10 pages with a $25 entry fee by May 15. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Poetry International Prize

Poetry International
Entry Fee: 
$15
Deadline: 
April 30, 2026
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Poetry International is given annually for a single poem. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of any length with a $15 entry fee ($3 for each additional poem) by April 30. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Poetry Contest

Bomb
Entry Fee: 
$25
Deadline: 
April 15, 2026
An award of $1,000 and publication in Bomb will be given biennially for a poem or group of poems. Using only the online submission system, submit up to five poems totaling no more than 10 pages with a $30 entry fee, which includes a print subscription to Bomb for U.S.-based applicants or a digital subscription for applicants based outside the U.S. by April 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Cave Canem Prize

Cave Canem Foundation
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
April 30, 2026
A prize of $10,000, publication by University of Pittsburgh Press, and 15 author copies is given annually for a first book of poetry by a Black poet within the African diaspora. The winner is also invited to give a featured reading in fall 2027. Jericho Brown will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 60 to 75 pages by April 30. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Hillary Gravendyk Prizes

Inlandia Institute
Entry Fee: 
$20
Deadline: 
April 30, 2026
Two prizes of $1,000 each, publication by the Inlandia Institute, and 20 author copies are given annually for a poetry collection by a U.S. resident and a poetry collection by a poet residing or working in Inland Southern California, including Riverside and San Bernardino Counties as well as any non-coastal area of Southern California, from Death Valley to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 48 to 100 pages with a $20 entry fee by April 30. Financial assistance is available upon request. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Paul Engle Prize

Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
March 15, 2026
A prize of $25,000 is given annually to a writer “who, like Paul Engle, represents a pioneering spirit in the world of literature through writing, editing, publishing, or teaching, and whose active participation in the larger issues of the day has contributed to the betterment of the world through the literary arts.” Poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers are eligible. Submit a nomination, including the writer’s curriculum vitae, the writer’s contact information, and a statement about how the writer embodies the spirit of the prize by March 15. Self-nominations are not accepted. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Chapbook Contest

DIAGRAM/New Michigan Press
Entry Fee: 
$28
Deadline: 
April 30, 2026
A prize of $1,000, publication by New Michigan Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a chapbook of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or hybrid-genre work. Ander Monson will judge. Submit a manuscript of 18 to 44 pages with a $28 entry fee by April 30. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Maya Angelou Book Award

Kansas City Public Library
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
April 1, 2026
A prize of $10,000 is given in alternating years for a poetry collection or a book of fiction by an author whose work “demonstrates a commitment to social justice.” This year the award will be given to a work of fiction. The winner agrees to participate in a two-week reading tour at partnering educational institutions in Missouri. Publishers may submit a digital copy or five print copies (or unbound galleys) of a novel or short story collection published between January 1, 2025, and November 30, 2026, by April 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

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