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DIRECTORY

Best Poetry Writing Contests in 2025

Showing 162 contests that match your search.

Page 5

Genres: Poetry

This contest celebrates independent and self-published poets, allowing them to showcase their poetry books and pamphlets.

Top Prize:

£400

Additional prizes:

2nd: £200 | 3rd: £100 | Publication

💰 Entry fee: $44

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025 (Expired)

Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award

Poets & Writers, Inc.

Genres: Fiction and Poetry

Established in 1984, this award connects emerging writers with the New York City literary community, facilitating professional advancement through a network of agents, editors, and authors. The winners receive an honorarium, a public reading, and participation in a residency program.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Residency at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Wyoming.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2025 (Expired)

Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award

Plough Publishing

Genres: Poetry

The award honors Dominican-American poet Rhina Espaillat. It is for an original poem of up to 50 lines, showcasing empathy and grace in everyday life.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

Winning poem published in Plough Quarterly | Two finalists will receive $250

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: March 30, 2025 (Expired)

The Writers Cypher

The Writers Cypher

Genres: Poetry and Short Story

The Writers Cypher is a first year, three-round virtual creative writing competition sponsored by Writers' Row Publishing House.

Top Prize:

2x $1000 prizes available

Additional prizes:

$500 for 2x runner-ups

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2025

James Laughlin Award

Academy of American Poets

Genres: Poetry

The James Laughlin Award recognizes and supports a second full-length print book of original poetry by a living poet, forthcoming in the next calendar year. It includes a $5,000 prize and an all-expenses-paid residency.

Top Prize:

$5,000

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2025 (Expired)

The Iowa Review Awards

The Iowa Review

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The Iowa Review Awards is an annual writing contest accepting submissions in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. It has been held every January since 2003, and winners are published in the December issue.

Top Prize:

$1,500

Additional prizes:

First runners-up receive $750

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)

New Deal Writing Competition

Genesee Valley Council on the Arts (GVCA)

Genres: Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Travel

The New Deal Writing Competition invites writers to create a short story inspired by a specific painting. The current painting is 'Playtime' by Fred Ross. This is the ninth annual contest, intended to celebrate creativity and connect art and writing.

Top Prize:

$200

Additional prizes:

Publication in newsletter

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The Indiana Review Poetry Prize is part of an annual contest that awards a prize for excellent poetry submissions. The contest is open to submissions of poetry, and winners receive publication along with a monetary honorarium.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in Indiana Review

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: February 27, 2025 (Expired)

Anthology Poetry Competition

Anthology Magazine

Genres: Poetry

The Anthology Poetry Competition aims to recognize and encourage excellence in poetry writing and to provide a platform for publication. Open to original and unpublished poems in English, there are no restrictions on theme or style. Poems must not exceed 40 lines, and there is no limit on the number of entries.

Top Prize:

€1000

Additional prizes:

2nd: €500 | 3rd: €250 + publication of the winning poem in Anthology magazine

💰 Entry fee: $18

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025

Jade Ring Writing Contest

Wisconsin Writers Association

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Jade Ring Contest is a prestigious annual competition celebrating exceptional writing in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Now in its 76th year, this contest offers writers a chance to shine, with cash prizes, publication opportunities in Creative Wisconsin Magazine, and a coveted residency at Write On, Door County for first-place winners.

Top Prize:

$250

Additional prizes:

1st: $250, a Jade Ring, a writing residency, and publication. | 2nd: $200 + publication. | $150 + publication. | Honorable Mentions: one year membership (or gift card for lifetime members) to WWA, publication. Prizes apply to each category.

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: June 01, 2025 (Expired)

Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize

Academy of American Poets

Genres: Poetry

Established in 1975, this prize recognizes the most outstanding book of poetry published in the U.S. in the previous calendar year. It includes a $25,000 award, a residency at Glen Hollow, and distribution of the winning book to Academy members.

Top Prize:

$25,000

💰 Entry fee: $75

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2025 (Expired)

Oxford Poetry Prize

Partus Press Ltd

Genres: Poetry

The Oxford Poetry Prize is an annual competition for a single poem in English. The guest judge this year is Rebecca Tamás.

Top Prize:

£1000

Additional prizes:

Second: £200 Third: £100 Publication offered to all winning poets.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2025 (Expired)

The Unsealed

Lauren Brill Media LLC

Genres: Poetry

This contest encourages participants to write about moments when they felt guided by the universe, such as instances of perfect timing or signs that changed their direction. It aims to inspire storytelling and personal reflection.

Top Prize:

$200

Additional prizes:

2nd: $50 | Winner also gets digital billboard feature or a free copy of 'Unseal Your Superpowers'

📅 Deadline: July 23, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

Established in 1998, this award honors poet Benjamin Saltman and is for previously unpublished original poetry collections. The competition is open to all poets.

Top Prize:

$3,000

Additional prizes:

Book publication by Red Hen Press

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: November 01, 2025

Narrative Prize

Narrative Magazine

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The Narrative Prize is awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction by a new or emerging writer. All works published in the magazine each year are considered, and previously unpublished works may also be submitted. The prize includes a cash award and recognition in the literary community.

Top Prize:

$5,000

💰 Entry fee: $27

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2025 (Expired)

The Paul Cave Prize for Literature

Tim Saunders Publications

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Established in 2023, this contest is a platform for writers and poets to get their work published. Categories include various forms of poetry and fiction, excluding erotic work. Winners receive feedback and cash prizes, while all approved submissions will be included in the anthology.

Top Prize:

£200

Additional prizes:

Feedback from the publisher + a complimentary copy of the anthology

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2025 (Expired)

Willow Run Poetry Book Award

Hidden River Press

Genres: Poetry

The Willow Run Poetry Book Award is an annual contest open to poets worldwide. The winner receives a monetary prize of $1,000 and publication by Hidden River Press. Entries should be unpublished collections of poetry, between 75 and 100 pages.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in Hidden River Press

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025 (Expired)

Nimrod Literary Awards

Nimrold International Journal of Prose and Poetry

Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Novel

The Nimrod Literary Awards are hosted by the Nimrod International Journal to honor outstanding writing in fiction and poetry. Each year, the awards feature a first prize of $2,000 and a second prize of $1,000, along with publication opportunities for winners.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: $1000 + publication

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 (Expired)

The Book of the Year Awards

The Independent Author Network

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Crime, and Short Story

The 11th Annual IAN Book of the Year Awards is an international contest open to all authors with 75 fiction and non-fiction categories. Winners share cash prizes totaling $6,000, including a Grand Prize of $2,500.

Top Prize:

$2,500

Additional prizes:

Minimum cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250 for first, second, and third places in each category respectively

💰 Entry fee: $49

📅 Deadline: August 16, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The 27th annual Ware Poets Open Poetry Competition is open for submissions until April 30th, 2025. The competition accepts poems on any subject, must be original, and no longer than 50 lines.

Top Prize:

£800

Additional prizes:

2nd: £400 | 3rd: £200 | Sonnet prize: £200 | All winning and commended poets invited to a prize-giving event.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 (Expired)

The Peseroff Prize

Breakwater Review

Genres: Poetry

The Peseroff Prize honors Joyce Peseroff's contributions to poetry and literature. It is an annual contest that invites submissions of previously unpublished poems.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in spring issue

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: April 15, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize invites submissions of poetry manuscripts. The prize includes cash awards and publication for the winner. Contest judge for 2025 is Elaine Equi.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

Winner gets publication. Robert Creeley Memorial Award ($250), Rochelle Ratner Memorial Award ($250) are also available.

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 (Expired)

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