Genre: Poetry

Writing Contest

Winter Anthology
Entry Fee: 
$11
Deadline: 
January 10, 2026

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Winter Anthology is given annually for a group of poems, a short story, a novel excerpt, or an essay. Using only the online submission system, submit up to 100 pages of poetry or prose with an $11 entry fee by January 10, 2026. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

James Dickey Prize for Poetry

Five Points
Entry Fee: 
$25
Deadline: 
December 1, 2025

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Five Points is given annually for a group of poems. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of no more than 50 lines each with a $25 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Five Points, by December 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Robert H. Winner Memorial Award

Poetry Society of America
Entry Fee: 
$15
Deadline: 
December 15, 2025

A prize of $2,500 and publication on the Poetry Society of America website is given annually to a poet over 40 who has published no more than one poetry collection. Using only the online submission system, submit 10 pages of poetry with a $15 entry fee by December 15. There is no entry fee for PSA members. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Poetry Chapbook Contest

Center for Book Arts
Entry Fee: 
$30
Deadline: 
December 31, 2025
A prize of $500 and letterpress publication by Center for Book Arts is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The winner also receives 10 copies of their chapbook, an additional $500 to give a reading with the contest judge at Center for Book Arts in New York City in fall 2026, and a free weeklong residency at Millay Arts in Austerlitz, New York, for their Wintertide Rustic Retreat. Submit a manuscript of up to 21 pages (or 450 lines) with a $30 entry fee by December 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Poetry Open

Gemini Magazine
Entry Fee: 
$10
Deadline: 
January 2, 2026

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a single poem. The editors will judge. Submit up to three poems of any length with a $10 entry fee by January 2, 2026. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award

Poetry Society of America
Entry Fee: 
$15
Deadline: 
December 15, 2025

A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Poetry Society of America website is given annually for poetry from a manuscript-in-progress. Using only the online submission system, submit 10 pages of poetry with a $15 entry fee by December 15. There is no entry fee for PSA members. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Plentitudes Prizes in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Flash

Plentitudes
Entry Fee: 
$20
Deadline: 
February 15, 2026
Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in the Plentitudes are given annually for a single poem, a short story, an essay, and a work of flash fiction or nonfiction. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of no more than 65 lines each, a story or essay of 1,000 to 5,000 words, or a work of flash fiction or nonfiction of up to 1,000 words with a $20 entry fee by December 31. All entries will be considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Poetic Fruit

9.30.25

“Forget about apples and oranges—nothing rhymes with orange anyway. Never mind those plums that William Carlos Williams sneaked from the icebox. The most poetic fruit of all is the blackberry,” writes A. O. Scott, critic at large for the New York Times Book Review, citing blackberry-inclusive works by poets such as Margaret Atwood, Emily Dickinson, Robert Hass, Seamus Heaney, Galway Kinnell, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Sylvia Plath. Compose a poem inspired by what you consider the most poetic fruit, describing the textures and tastes of your selection, and its associations in the world and in other works of art. Spend some time thinking about the name of the fruit itself, its sounds and component parts and etymological roots. Does conjuring words and phrases that recall the qualities of the fruit take your poem in a surprising or unexpected direction?

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