Villanelle Contest 2026, Formal Poetry Competition
Quick answer: Enter Writory's monthly villanelle contest. 19 lines, two refrains, cash prizes for winners, certificates for all, and a five criteria score for each poem.
Nineteen lines, two refrains circling each other until they collide in the final couplet, the villanelle is the form poets attempt when they want to be haunted. Writory's monthly international poetry contest gives formal verse a genuine home. Entries open on the 1st and close on the 25th of every month, results arrive on the 30th, winners receive cash prizes, and every entrant earns a participation certificate.
The scoring honors your discipline. Every poet sees a five criteria breakdown in their profile covering creativity, emotion, structure, language, and impact and resonance. Villanelles, terzanelles, and other repeating forms compete alongside poets from 40 countries.
Writory's monthly poetry contest welcomes villanelles and other formal repeating forms, with cash prizes, certificates for all, and transparent scoring.
Why enter
- Formal mastery is rewarded, a well turned refrain scores under structure and language
- A new contest every month, so a finished villanelle never sits in a drawer for a year
- No theme restrictions, obsess over love, loss, defiance, or anything else
- Repeating forms are welcome by name, including the villanelle, terzanelle, pantoum, rondeau, and triolet
- An international field of poets from 40 countries
What winners and entrants receive
- Cash prizes for winning poets each month
- Winners receive free entry into the following month
- A participation certificate for every entrant
- The top 10 poems appear on the public leaderboard
Villanelles, terzanelles, pantoums, rondeaux, triolets, and every other repeating form are welcome, strict or loosened as your poem demands.
Key facts
- Entries open the 1st, close the 25th at 11:59 PM IST, results on the 30th.
- One poem costs $5, two $8 and five $15. In India: Rs 150, Rs 220 and Rs 450. Optional add-ons are shown separately before payment.
- Every poem scored by human judges on five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance.
- A participation certificate for every entrant, not only winners, and the score is visible in your profile.
- Cash prizes for winners, free entry the following month for winners, open worldwide from age 13, any language.
Questions
Can I enter a villanelle, and does it have to be strictly traditional?
Yes, villanelles are warmly welcome, in strict form or with modern variations. Writory accepts any style and any theme, so a loosened refrain or a slant rhymed villanelle is just as valid as a textbook one. Write the poem the form is asking for.
How is formal poetry judged fairly against free verse?
Every poem receives a five criteria score covering creativity, emotion, structure, language, and impact and resonance, visible in your profile. Formal control shows up directly in the structure and language scores, so the villanelle's demands become your advantage.
What does it cost to enter the villanelle contest?
The entry fee is small and shown in your local currency on the submit page. Winners get free entry the following month, and three consecutive months of participation earns a free entry.
When are results announced?
Entries open on the 1st and close on the 25th of every month, and results are announced on the 30th. Your full score breakdown appears in your profile with the results.
By the Writory editorial team. Updated September 2026.
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