Poetry Competitions and Contests 2026: Deadlines, Fees and Prizes
Quick answer: 64 real poetry contests in one living calendar, 5 open to entries right now (October 2026), sorted by nearest deadline, with entry fees, prizes and status derived from recorded dates. Annual windows are estimates; exact dates, regional deadlines and eligibility must be confirmed on the official site.
Compare by organiser country: UK & Ireland · USA · Canada · Australia & NZ. An organiser's country does not establish a reader's eligibility.
Open now (5)
- Writory International Poetry Contest (International). Open, closes the 25th. 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 previous month's 26th, closes on the 25th, results on the 30th, or the last day in February. Every poem is scored on creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance.
- Poetry Society of America Annual Awards (United States). Open, closes December 15, 2026. Entry: Free for PSA members; US$10 per single poem award and US$15 per multiple poem award for non-members. Prize: Seven awards from US$250 to US$2,500, the largest the Robert H. Winner Memorial Award for poets over 40. Seven individually judged awards open to PSA members and non-members. Select an award and read its requirements before submitting via Submittable. Eligibility: Original poems primarily in English; no translations or coauthored work. Age, manuscript and prior-publication rules vary by award.. 2027 awards: entries October 1 to December 15, 2026; the published cutoff is 11:59 PM EST. Official date source, checked 2026-10-02.
- Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize (United States). Open, closes December 15, 2026. Entry: free. Prize: 1st US$1,000, 2nd US$750, 3rd US$500, 4th US$250, all four published in Poem-a-Day. One original, unpublished poem addressing the climate crisis; run by the Academy of American Poets. Eligibility: US citizens, people with ten years of US residency, or the specified immigration statuses; see the official guidelines.. 2026 call: October 15 to December 15. The official page does not specify an opening or closing time. Official date source, checked 2026-10-02.
- The Moth Poetry Prize (Ireland). Open, closes December 31, 2026. Entry: €17 per poem. Prize: 1st €6,000, three €1,000 runner-up prizes and eight €250 awards. The 2026 call opened on 3 October and closes on 31 December at 11:59 PM GMT. Open worldwide to writers over 16, for unpublished poems in English, including translations; judge Diane Seuss. Published cutoff: 31 December 2026, 11:59 PM GMT. This edition does not reopen automatically next year. Official date source, checked 2026-10-06.
- Magma Poetry Competition (United Kingdom). Open, closes January 31, 2027. Entry: £5 first poem, £4 second, £3.50 each after; less for subscribers. 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. The current call opened on 1 October 2026 and closes on 31 January 2027 at 11:59 PM GMT. The organiser's 1 October 2026 announcement confirms the current call and its 31 January 2027, 11:59 PM GMT deadline. Official date source, checked 2026-10-06.
Upcoming, ended or dates to confirm (59)
- Missouri Review Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize (Poetry) (United States). Deadline October 16, 2026; check closing time. Entry: US$25 standard; US$30 All-Access. Prize: US$5,000 and publication in spring 2027; every entry considered for publication. Six to twelve pages of original, unpublished poems, judged by the magazine's editors. Standard entry includes a digital subscription and a digital TMR Books title. Eligibility: Current University of Missouri students and faculty and previous Editors' Prize winners are ineligible.. Deadline extended to October 16, 2026; check the official entry portal for the closing time. Official date source, checked 2026-10-02.
- National Poetry Competition (United Kingdom). Typical May–October window; current dates to confirm. 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 Bridport Prize (Poetry) (United Kingdom). Opens November 15, 2026; closing date to confirm. Entry: 2027 fee to confirm; the displayed 2026 fee was £13 per poem. Prize: 2026 awards: 1st £5,000, 2nd £1,000, 3rd £500, plus highly commended prizes; confirm 2027 terms. The organiser confirms that the 2027 competition opens on 15 November 2026. The detail page still describes the closed 2026 round; the next closing date and fees require confirmation. Confirmed 2027 opening: 15 November 2026. Historical fees and prizes are labelled by edition, not carried forward as new terms. Official date source, checked 2026-10-06.
- Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest (United States). Typical August–April window; current dates to confirm. 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.
- Tom Howard / Margaret Reid Poetry Contest (United States). Typical April–October window; current dates to confirm. 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.
- Rattle Poetry Prize (United States). Typical July window; current dates to confirm. 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.
- Fish Poetry Prize (Ireland). Typical March window; current dates to confirm. 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.
- Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award (United Kingdom). Typical February–July window; current dates to confirm. 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.
- Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Prize (Ireland). Typical November window; current dates to confirm. 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.
- Ledbury Poetry Competition (United Kingdom). Typical March–July window; current dates to confirm. Entry: £6 per poem, up to ten poems. Prize: 1st £1,000 and a week's Arvon poetry course, 2nd £500, 3rd £250. Open to poets aged 18 or over anywhere, poems up to 40 lines in English; closes in July, on the 27th in 2026, with the winner read at the Ledbury Poetry Festival.
- 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.
- CBC Poetry Prize (Canada). Typical April–June window; current dates to confirm. Entry: CA$25 per entry, taxes included. Prize: CA$6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two week Banff Centre residency and publication on CBC Books; four finalists CA$1,000 each. Canadian citizens and permanent residents only, at the age of majority; English entries up to 600 words, unpublished. The 2027 round opens 1 April and closes 1 June 2027.
- Montreal International Poetry Prize (Canada). Opens periodic windows. Entry: CA$25 first poem before 1 May, CA$28 after; CA$20 each further poem. Prize: CA$20,000 for one poem; about 60 shortlisted poems published in the prize anthology. Run by McGill University every second year and open worldwide to poets of the age of majority, poems of 40 lines or fewer; the 2026 round closed 15 May, so the next is expected in 2028.
- Peter Porter Poetry Prize (Australia). 2026 entry window ended; check the next call. Entry: AU$30 per poem, AU$20 for ABR subscribers. Prize: 1st AU$6,000; four other shortlisted poets AU$1,000 each. Run by Australian Book Review. Entries are judged anonymously; previously published, prize-winning and broadcast poems are not eligible. Eligibility: Living poets worldwide, any age; an unpublished poem in English of up to 60 lines per entry. No translations. ABR staff and board members are ineligible.. 2027 prize: closes October 14, 2026 at 11:55 pm. Confirm the timezone in the official terms before submitting. Official date source, checked 2026-10-02.
- ACU Prize for Poetry (Australia). Typical April–July window; current dates to confirm. Entry: AU$25 per poem. Prize: 1st AU$10,000, 2nd AU$5,000, 3rd AU$3,000, highly commended AU$750. Australian Catholic University prize on a set theme each year, for Australian residents including enrolled international students; poems up to 60 lines, running 1 April to 1 July with results in November.
- Newcastle Poetry Prize (Australia). Typical September–December window; current dates to confirm. Entry: AU$35.20 per poem, AU$30.25 for Hunter Writers Centre members (2026 round). Prize: 1st AU$15,000, 2nd AU$3,000, 3rd AU$1,500, plus named prizes and AU$100 for each shortlisted poem. Australia's richest single poem prize, from the Hunter Writers Centre for Australian citizens and residents aged 18 or over; up to 200 lines, unpublished. The next round opens 23 September and closes 6 December 2026.
- Caselberg Trust International Poetry Prize (New Zealand). Typical June window; current dates to confirm. Entry: NZ$20 for up to two poems. Prize: 1st NZ$600 and a week's stay at the Caselberg house, 2nd NZ$300, up to five highly commended; winners published in Landfall. Dunedin trust prize open to anyone anywhere, poems up to 40 lines, judged blind, no AI; runs through June each year with results in November.
- Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award (Ireland). Typical July–September window; current dates to confirm. 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.
- 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.
- Manchester Poetry Prize (United Kingdom). Opens periodic windows. Entry: £18 per portfolio of three to five poems (last edition). Prize: Large cash prize for a portfolio of poems. A £10,000 prize for a portfolio of three to five poems from Manchester Metropolitan University, open to any nationality over 16; no edition has run since 2023, and the university says future dates will be posted when confirmed.
- Palette Poetry Ekphrastic Prize (United States). Typical June–August window; current dates to confirm. 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) (United Kingdom). Typical December–August window; current dates to confirm. 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). Typical July–August window; current dates to confirm. 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.
- Button Poetry Video Contest (United States). Typical July–September window; current dates to confirm. 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 (United States). Typical July–September window; current dates to confirm. 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.
- Reuben Rose Memorial Poetry Competition (International). Typical June–October window; current dates to confirm. 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.
- The Bedford Competition (Poetry) (United Kingdom). Typical February–October window; current dates to confirm. 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.
- Kent and Sussex Open Poetry Competition (United Kingdom). Typical October–January window; current dates to confirm. Entry: £5 per poem, £4 each for three or more. 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.
- Narrative Magazine Poetry Contest (United States). Typical May–July window; current dates to confirm. Entry: US$26 per entry of up to five poems, with three months of Narrative Backstage access. Prize: 1st US$1,500, 2nd US$750, 3rd US$300, up to ten finalists US$75; all entries also considered for the US$5,000 Narrative Prize. Open to all poets, unpublished poems only; judged by the Narrative editors with results about two months after the late July close, and winners published in the magazine.
- Ploughshares Emerging Writer's Contest (Poetry) (United States). Typical February–March window; current dates to confirm. Entry: US$30, which includes a one year print and digital subscription; free for current subscribers. Prize: US$2,000, publication in Ploughshares and a conversation with the literary agency Aevitas. For writers who have not published a book in the genre; three to five pages of poetry, no residency rule. Run from Emerson College in Boston, with winners in the winter issue.
- Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers (United States). Typical November window; current dates to confirm. Entry: free. Prize: A full scholarship to a Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop and publication in The Kenyon Review. High school sophomores and juniors only, one poem each, entries from any country; runs 1 to 30 November every year with winners named the following March.
- Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (Poetry) (United States). Check your regional deadline. Entry: US$15 per entry or US$40 per portfolio; fee waivers available. Prize: Regional Gold and Silver Keys, national Gold and Silver Medals and scholarships; poetry Gold Medallists are considered for the National Student Poets Program. For teens in grades 7 to 12, aged 13 or over, at school in the United States, its territories, military bases or Canada outside Quebec; entry deadlines vary by region. Eligibility: For teen students; only current seniors can enter portfolios. Age, grade and school-location requirements apply.. Deadlines vary by region and begin in December. Check your regional affiliate for the applicable deadline. Official date source, checked 2026-10-02.
- Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry (Nimrod Literary Awards) (United States). Typical January window; current dates to confirm. Entry: US$25 per entry, which includes a one year subscription of two issues. Prize: 1st US$2,000, 2nd US$1,000, both published; finalists and semifinalists published and paid US$20 a page. From the University of Tulsa and open internationally; three to eight pages of unpublished poetry with no name on the manuscript, finalists chosen by the editors and winners by a guest judge.
- The Adroit Prize for Poetry (United States). Typical April–May window; current dates to confirm. Entry: US$15, with a fee waiver form for financial hardship. Prize: US$200 and publication; runners up and finalists receive the judge's latest book. For secondary and undergraduate students anywhere in the world, one guest judge, results usually in October; the 2026 round was extended to 12 May.
- The River Styx Contest (Poetry) (United States). Typical March–September window; current dates to confirm. Entry: US$20 per entry of up to three poems. Prize: US$1,000 and publication in print and online. St. Louis magazine with a guest judge and winners announced on 1 January; unpublished poems, no residency rule. The 2027 round had not been announced when this was read, so the window shown is last year's.
- The Malahat Review Open Season Awards (Poetry) (Canada). Typical August–November window; current dates to confirm. Entry: CA$35 from Canada or CA$45 from elsewhere, CA$20 or CA$30 early bird until 30 September; CA$10 each further entry; first entry includes a one year print subscription. Prize: CA$2,000 and publication in each of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. University of Victoria magazine, open internationally; up to three poems of 100 lines or fewer per entry, not published or submitted elsewhere, closing 1 November.
- The Malahat Review Long Poem Prize (Canada). Typical November–February window; current dates to confirm. Entry: Last round: CA$35 from Canada or CA$45 from elsewhere, early bird CA$20 or CA$30, CA$15 each further entry, with a one year print subscription. Prize: Two winners of CA$1,250 each plus publication. Runs in odd years, alternating with the Novella Prize; a single poem or cycle of 10 to 20 pages, open internationally, next deadline 1 February 2027 with 2027 fees not yet posted.
- PRISM international Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize (Canada). Typical August–October window; current dates to confirm. Entry: CA$35 per entry from any country, CA$5 each further entry; free entries for Black and Indigenous writers and some low income writers on request. Prize: CA$1,500, CA$600 and CA$400. From UBC Creative Writing and open to all writers, one to three poems of up to 100 lines; the current deadline is published only on Submittable, and the window shown is the magazine's usual one.
- Arc Poetry Magazine Poem of the Year (Canada). Typical November–February window; current dates to confirm. Entry: CA$40 for one or two poems, CA$45 for three, CA$5 each further poem up to CA$80, with a one year subscription. Prize: CA$5,000, a CA$500 honourable mention and a CA$250 readers' choice; shortlisted poets paid for publication. Ottawa magazine with the largest single poem prize among Canadian magazine contests; open worldwide, poems of up to 100 lines, early bird until 31 December and a usual 1 February close.
- The Fiddlehead Ralph Gustafson Prize for Best Poem (Canada). Typical September–December window; current dates to confirm. Entry: CA$35 from Canadian addresses or CA$50 from elsewhere, CA$10 each further entry, with a one year subscription. Prize: CA$2,000, publication and CA$65 a page. University of New Brunswick magazine, open internationally; up to three poems of 100 lines or fewer, closing 1 December.
- Room Magazine Poetry Contest (Canada). Typical January–March window; current dates to confirm. Entry: CA$39 from Canada, CA$49 from the US, CA$59 elsewhere, with a one year subscription; CA$7 each further entry; ten free entries for low income writers. Prize: 1st CA$1,000, 2nd CA$250, honourable mention CA$100, all published. For women, trans men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary writers from any country; up to three poems or 150 lines; the 2026 round was extended to 10 April.
- Grain Magazine Short Grain Contest (Poetry) (Canada). Typical January–April window; current dates to confirm. Entry: CA$40 from Canada, CA$50 from the US, CA$60 elsewhere, for up to two entries in one category, with a one year subscription. Prize: 1st CA$1,000, 2nd CA$750, 3rd CA$500, each published in Grain. Saskatchewan Writers' Guild magazine, open internationally; one or two unpublished poems of up to 100 lines, no AI assistance, running 1 January to 15 April 2027.
- subTerrain Lush Triumphant Literary Awards (Poetry) (Canada). Typical January–June window; current dates to confirm. Entry: CA$30 per entry, CA$5 each further entry, with a one year subscription. Prize: CA$1,000 and publication in each of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. Vancouver magazine; the poetry entry is a suite of five related poems in up to 15 pages, single poems are not eligible, no residency rule, closing 1 June.
- Contemporary Verse 2 (CV2) 2-Day Poem Contest (Canada). Typical March–April window; current dates to confirm. Entry: CA$20 registration, or CA$30 with a one year CV2 subscription. Prize: 1st CA$500, 2nd CA$300, 3rd CA$150, each with a subscription and publication. Winnipeg magazine's 48 hour challenge every April: ten words are released at midnight and the poem must use them all; register about a week before the writing weekend.
- Prairie Fire Poetry Contest (Bliss Carman Poetry Award) (Canada). Typical January–November window; current dates to confirm. Entry: CA$34 per entry, with a subscription for the first entry in each category. Prize: CA$1,250 and an honourable mention in each of poetry, short fiction and creative nonfiction. Winnipeg magazine with McNally Robinson Booksellers, open internationally; up to three unpublished poems totalling 150 lines, entries taken any time before 30 November.
- FreeFall Magazine Annual Prose and Poetry Contest (Canada). Typical December–April window; current dates to confirm. Entry: CA$25 per entry, with a one year subscription for the first entry. Prize: Poetry: 1st CA$500, 2nd CA$250, 3rd CA$125, honourable mention CA$75. Calgary magazine, open internationally; up to three unpublished poems per entry, running 1 December 2026 to 30 April 2027.
- Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize (Australia). Typical April–September window; current dates to confirm. Entry: AU$8 per poem. Prize: AU$3,000 to the winner and two highly commended awards of AU$500. Run by the University of Southern Queensland for Australian poets, new or established; one to five unpublished poems of up to 50 lines each, the 2026 round closing 22 September.
- Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets (Australia). Current dates to confirm. Entry: 2025 fees: AU$20 per poem, AU$12 for Overland subscribers; next call to confirm. Prize: 2025 awards: 1st AU$6,000, 2nd AU$2,000, 3rd AU$1,000, all three published in Overland. The official page still describes the 2025 round, open 9 October to 5 December 2025, for Australian and New Zealand poets with no more than one solo collection and poems up to 80 lines. The next call is not verified. The cited call is for 2025; its dates are not a current opening. Official date source, checked 2026-10-06.
- Arts Queensland Val Vallis Award for an Unpublished Poem (Australia). Typical August–September window; current dates to confirm. Entry: AU$25 per entry, AU$20 for Queensland Writers Centre members and concession holders. Prize: AU$3,500 and publication in Westerly; runner up AU$500 and publication. Part of the Queensland Poetry Awards, for Australian citizens and residents; one unpublished poem or suite of up to 80 lines, up to five entries, results in December.
- Woollahra Digital Literary Award (Poetry) (Australia). Typical April–July window; current dates to confirm. Entry: No entry fee is mentioned in the conditions of entry. Prize: AU$1,000 for poetry; fiction and nonfiction AU$2,500 each, digital innovation AU$1,500. A council award for work already published online, entered as a URL or PDF, for Australian residents over 16; the 2026 round ran 17 April to 19 July with the shortlist in October.
- Blake Poetry Prize (Australia). Opens periodic windows. Entry: AU$30 per entry. Prize: AU$5,000. Run every second year by Liverpool Powerhouse and WestWords for poems of up to 100 lines on spirituality, religion or belief, open nationally and internationally; the 69th prize closed in December 2025, so the next is expected to open around September 2027.
- Kathleen Grattan Poetry Award (New Zealand). Typical August–July window; current dates to confirm. Entry: No entry fee is mentioned on the official page. Prize: NZ$10,000, a year's Landfall subscription and publication of the winning collection by Otago University Press. A book length manuscript award run every second year for New Zealand and South Pacific citizens and residents; entries are open now and close 31 July 2027, one entry per person, judged blind.
- New Zealand Poetry Society International Poetry Competition (New Zealand). Typical March–May window; current dates to confirm. Entry: Per poem fees are shown in Submittable while the competition is open, with a discount for members. Prize: Open: 1st NZ$600, 2nd NZ$250, 3rd NZ$200; haiku 1st NZ$250; junior and school prizes; placed poems published in the annual anthology. Open worldwide with adult, haiku and junior categories, running 15 March to 31 May every year with results in July; no AI.
- Mslexia Women's Poetry Competition (United Kingdom). Typical September–December window; current dates to confirm. Entry: £12 for up to three poems. Prize: 1st £2,000, 2nd £500, 3rd £250, an Unpublished Poet Prize of £250; winners and 16 finalists published in Mslexia. For women of any nationality in any country; unpublished poems of any length, no AI, closing 7 December 2026 with winners announced 1 March 2027.
- The Rialto Nature and Place Poetry Competition (United Kingdom). Typical December–April window; current dates to confirm. Entry: £7 first poem, £4 each further poem. Prize: 1st £1,000, 2nd £500, 3rd £250, winning poems published in The Rialto. Run with the RSPB and BirdLife International for poems of up to 40 lines on nature and place; no residency rule, closing 1 April in both 2025 and 2026.
- Poetry London Prize (United Kingdom). Typical March–June window; current dates to confirm. Entry: £10 per poem, £5 for subscribers; free entries for writers on UK means tested benefits. Prize: 1st £5,000, 2nd £2,000, 3rd £1,000, winners published in the autumn issue. Open to poets anywhere in the world writing in English, poems up to 80 lines, unlimited entries; the 2026 round ran 13 March to 30 June.
- Winchester Poetry Prize (United Kingdom). Typical April–July window; current dates to confirm. Entry: £7 first poem, £5 each further poem; free entry through the Pay It Forward scheme for poets on low incomes. Prize: 1st £1,000, 2nd £500, 3rd £250, plus a £150 prize for a Hampshire poet; longlist published in an anthology. Anyone aged 16 or over in any country, poems up to 40 lines in English, judged anonymously; runs April to 31 July with results at the October festival.
- Wells Festival of Literature Open Poetry Competition (United Kingdom). Typical April–June window; current dates to confirm. Entry: £8 per poem. Prize: 1st £1,000, 2nd £500, 3rd £250, and £100 for the best local poet. Open worldwide for poems of up to 40 lines, entered anonymously as a PDF; runs 1 April to 30 June with winners announced at the festival in October. A separate young poets category covers ages 16 to 22.
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. Writory's featured listing comes first, followed by contests within their listed submission window, ordered by deadline. Verified editions show an official date source and when it was checked. Other dates follow recurring schedules and may change; confirm the current call, eligibility and closing time on the organiser's site.
How does the Writory poetry contest work?
Writory runs a new international contest every month. It opens on the previous month's 26th, closes to entries on the 25th, and announces results on the 30th, or the last day in February. 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 October 2026. Enter Writory's monthly contest, with the next round opening on the 26th and closing on the 25th.