Poetry Contests in Canada 2026
Quick answer: 13 Canadian poetry contests with fees in CA$, 0 taking entries right now (October 2026), followed by 4 open competitions that accept international entries. Each is listed with its entry fee, prize and recorded window. Check age, residency and other eligibility rules before entering. Dated source checks are shown per listing; recurring annual windows remain estimates.
Canada's poetry contests run all year: Room, Grain and subTerrain close between March and June, the CBC Poetry Prize on 1 June, the Malahat Review, PRISM, the Fiddlehead and Prairie Fire between October and December, and Arc's CA$5,000 Poem of the Year on 1 February. Most magazine contests charge CA$35 to CA$40 and include a subscription; the CBC prize is for Canadians only, and each row's notes give the organiser's own rule.
Open now (0)
Upcoming, ended or dates to confirm (13)
- 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 Canadian citizens and permanent residents only, at the age of majority; English entries up to 600 words, unpublished.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.
- 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.
Open competitions accepting international entries (4)
- 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.
- 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.
Questions poets ask
Which Canada poetry contests are free to enter?
None of the Canadian prizes listed here is free this year, though several give free entries to members, students or writers on low incomes and the fee column says so. Writory gives a free entry to each month's winners and to poets who enter three months in a row.
What poetry contests in Canada close next?
No dated Canadian deadline is available from the recorded windows. Check the organiser's current call, including regional or unconfirmed dates. Writory's featured listing comes first, then contests within their listed submission window, ordered by deadline. Check the official closing time before entering.
Which Canadian poetry contests are for Canadian residents only?
The CBC Poetry Prize is for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Most literary magazine contests, including the Malahat Review, PRISM international, Arc, the Fiddlehead and Grain, take entries from anywhere in the world, usually with a higher fee for addresses outside Canada. The notes on each row state the rule as the organiser writes it.
Why do Canadian magazine contests cost CA$35 or more?
The fee almost always includes a one year subscription to the magazine, and entrants outside Canada often pay a little more for postage. Contests without a subscription, such as the Montreal International Poetry Prize's early bird rate, are priced per poem instead.
How is Writory different from the Canadian contests here?
Writory opens its next monthly round on the 26th and closes it on the 25th. Results arrive on the 30th, or the last day in February. Every entrant receives a score out of 100 and a certificate; written feedback is an optional paid add-on. Poets from Canada compete in one worldwide field. Current entry fees are shown before payment.
Other countries
By the Writory editorial team. Statuses computed October 2026. Writory's contest for poets in Canada, enter Writory's monthly contest, how to enter a poetry contest.