Poetry Contests and Competitions 2026: Deadlines and Prizes Calendar
Quick answer: 31 real poetry contests in one living calendar, 11 open to entries right now (September 2026), sorted by nearest deadline, with entry fees, prizes and live open or closed status derived from each contest's own window. Updated automatically as windows open and close.
Open now (11)
- Writory International Poetry Contest (International). Open now. Entry: Shown in your local currency (a free entry option is available each month). Prize: Cash prizes, a certificate for every poet, and a five criteria score. Opens on the 1st, closes on the 25th, results on the 30th, every single month. Every poem is scored on creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance.
- Button Poetry Video Contest (International). Closing soon, September 1. Entry: $15 per video submission. Prize: $500 honorarium plus a feature across Button's channels. Performance poetry on video for the internet's biggest spoken word channel; confirm the current window on their site.
- Frontier Poetry Myths and Fables Prize (International). Open, closes September 13. Entry: $20 per submission. Prize: 1st $3,000, 2nd $300, 3rd $200, plus publication. A themed annual prize from Frontier, which runs several through the year; a limited free entry window exists for historically marginalized poets.
- Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award (Ireland). Open, closes September 30. Entry: Entry fee per collection. Prize: Cash prize for an unpublished collection. For an unpublished collection by a poet not yet having published a book; the deadline usually falls in early autumn, so confirm the date.
- Manchester Poetry Prize (United Kingdom). Open, closes September 30. Entry: Entry fee per portfolio. Prize: Large cash prize for a portfolio of poems. A major international prize from Manchester Metropolitan University for a portfolio of poems; the deadline usually falls in autumn, so confirm the date.
- Tom Howard / Margaret Reid Poetry Contest (International). Open, closes October 1. Entry: $25 per submission of up to 3 poems. Prize: $12,000 total across the Tom Howard and Margaret Reid prizes. From Winning Writers, with one category for any style and one for traditional rhyme and meter.
- Peter Porter Poetry Prize (Australia). Open, closes October 1. Entry: Entry fee per poem. Prize: Cash prize and publication in Australian Book Review. Run by Australian Book Review and open internationally; entries usually close in early October, so confirm the exact date.
- Reuben Rose Memorial Poetry Competition (International). Open, closes October 1. Entry: $6 for one poem, $14 for three. Prize: 1st $500, 2nd $200, 3rd $100, plus honourable mentions. Run by Voices Israel for English language poetry from anywhere in the world; confirm the opening month on their site.
- National Poetry Competition (United Kingdom). Open, closes October 31. Entry: £9 first poem, £6 each subsequent. Prize: 1st £5,000, 2nd £3,000, 3rd £2,000, plus commendations. Run by the Poetry Society and open worldwide; one of the best known single poem prizes in English.
- The Bedford Competition (Poetry) (United Kingdom). Open, closes October 31. Entry: £8.50 per poem, £17 for three. Prize: 1st £2,000, 2nd £400, 3rd £300. An annual open competition with parallel poetry and short story strands; confirm the opening month on their site.
- Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest (International). Open, closes April 1. Entry: free. Prize: $5,100 in total prizes, 1st $2,000. A genuinely free contest from Winning Writers for humorous poetry; closes on April 1.
Currently closed, reopening on schedule (20)
- Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Prize (Ireland). Opens November 1. Entry: €7 per poem, or €30 for a batch of five. Prize: 1st €2,000, 2nd €500, winning poems published. From the Munster Literature Centre; the winner is flown to read at the Cork poetry festival.
- The Moth Poetry Prize (Ireland). Opens December 1. Entry: €17 per poem. Prize: 1st €6,000, with three €1,000 runner up prizes. One of the richest prizes for a single unpublished poem; judged anonymously and open worldwide.
- Kent and Sussex Open Poetry Competition (United Kingdom). Opens October 1. Entry: Entry fee per poem. Prize: 1st £1,000, 2nd £300, 3rd £100. Run since 1985 by one of England's oldest poetry societies; closes on the last day of January.
- Magma Poetry Competition (United Kingdom). Opens October 1. Entry: Entry fee per poem. Prize: 1st £1,000, 2nd £300, 3rd £150 in each of two categories. Two prizes, the Judge's Prize and the Editors' Prize for shorter poems; closes at the end of January.
- Fish Poetry Prize (Ireland). Opens March 1. Entry: €16 first poem, €11 each subsequent. Prize: 1st €1,000, plus a Fish writing course prize. From Fish Publishing in West Cork; winners appear in the annual anthology launched at a festival.
- The Bridport Prize (Poetry) (United Kingdom). Opens May 1. Entry: £13 per poem. Prize: 1st £5,000, 2nd £1,000, 3rd £500, plus highly commended prizes. A major international competition based in Dorset; the poetry deadline falls at the end of May.
- CBC Poetry Prize (Canada). Opens April 1. Entry: Entry fee per submission. Prize: Large cash prize plus a writing residency and publication. Open to Canadian residents; the deadline usually falls in late spring, so confirm the exact date before you enter.
- Ledbury Poetry Competition (United Kingdom). Opens July 1. Entry: £6 per poem, up to 10 poems. Prize: 1st £1,000 plus a week long Arvon poetry course. Tied to the Ledbury Poetry Festival in Herefordshire; the deadline lands in early summer.
- Rattle Poetry Prize (International). Opens July 1. Entry: $30, which includes a one year Rattle subscription. Prize: $15,000 for the winner, ten $500 finalist prizes. Every finalist is published and every entrant gets the annual issue; deadline is mid July.
- Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award (International). Opens July 1. Entry: free. Prize: Prizes, mentoring and publication for young poets. Free to enter for poets aged 11 to 17 anywhere in the world; deadline at the end of July.
- Palette Poetry Ekphrastic Prize (International). Opens June 1. Entry: $20 per submission of 1 to 3 poems. Prize: 1st $3,000 plus publication and an interview. One of Palette's rotating annual prizes; confirm the current window on their site before entering.
- Aesthetica Creative Writing Award (Poetry) (International). Opens December 1. Entry: £12 per poetry entry. Prize: £2,500 to the poetry winner, of a £5,000 total pot. Runs from the 1st of December to the 31st of August every year, with a short late window after the standard close.
- Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition (Ireland). Opens July 1. Entry: €25 per manuscript. Prize: Chapbook publication by the Munster Literature Centre. A full chapbook manuscript rather than a single poem; run by the Munster Literature Centre in Cork.
- All India Poetry Competition (India). Opens periodic windows. Entry: Entry fee per poem. Prize: Cash prizes and publication in the anthology. Run by The Poetry Society (India) in New Delhi, one of the country's oldest poetry prizes; confirm the current entry dates on their site.
- TOTO Awards for Creative Writing (Toto Funds the Arts) (India). Opens periodic windows. Entry: free. Prize: Cash award and mentoring for young writers. A Bengaluru based award for writers under thirty; the creative writing category includes poetry, so confirm the current call dates.
- Montreal International Poetry Prize (Canada). Opens periodic windows. Entry: Entry fee per poem. Prize: $20,000 CAD for a single poem, plus anthology publication. A large international single poem prize administered in Montreal; it runs in selected years, so confirm the current cycle and deadline.
- ACU Prize for Poetry (Australia). Opens periodic windows. Entry: free. Prize: Cash prizes across several places. An annual themed prize from Australian Catholic University, open worldwide; confirm the current theme and closing date on their site.
- Newcastle Poetry Prize (Australia). Opens periodic windows. Entry: Entry fee per poem. Prize: Cash prizes and publication in the anthology. One of Australia's most respected poetry awards; entries usually open mid year, so confirm the current dates before submitting.
- Caselberg Trust International Poetry Prize (New Zealand). Opens periodic windows. Entry: Entry fee per poem. Prize: Cash prize and publication. An annual international single poem prize run by the Caselberg Trust in Dunedin; confirm the current closing date on their site.
- Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award (South Africa). Opens periodic windows. Entry: free. Prize: Cash prizes and publication in the anthology. A South African award celebrating poetry in the country's official languages; confirm the current call and closing date on the organiser's site.
Questions poets ask
What poetry contests can I enter for free?
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest, Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award, TOTO Awards for Creative Writing (Toto Funds the Arts) and more cost nothing to enter. Writory also offers a free entry option every month alongside its paid entries: winners enter the next month free, and submitting three months in a row earns a free entry.
When are the biggest poetry contest deadlines in 2026?
Deadlines are spread across the year. This page sorts every contest by its nearest window and marks what is open right now, so the most urgent ones rise to the top automatically and the list stays current without anyone editing it.
How does the Writory poetry contest work?
Writory runs a new international contest every month. It opens on the 1st, closes to entries on the 25th, and announces results on the 30th. Every poem is scored on creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance, every poet receives a certificate, and winners take cash prizes. You can write in any language and any form.
By the Writory editorial team. Statuses computed September 2026. Enter Writory's monthly contest, open from the 1st to the 25th of every month.