With only a few more days left before the deadline, don’t miss the opportunity to submit to the annual National Poetry Series Open Competition. Five U.S. poets will receive $10,000 each and publication of their collections by participating trade, university, or small press publishers. The 2023 publishers are Beacon Press, Ecco, Milkweed Editions, Penguin Books, and University of Georgia Press. Residents of the United States and American citizens living abroad are eligible to apply.
Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of a suggested length of 48 to 64 pages with a $35 entry fee by March 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines. Finalists will be notified around May 31, around which time their manuscripts will be shared with five judges for further consideration. The competition winners will be notified around August 31, and all finalists will be informed of their status at that time.
The National Poetry Series literary awards program seeks to “support poetry and increase the audience for poetry by heightening its visibility among readers,” as well as “give American poets, of all ethnic and racial groups, gender, religion, and poetic style, access to publishing outlets not ordinarily available to them.” Members of the Board of Directors include Natalie Diaz, Daniel Halpern, Cathy Park Hong, Imani Perry, Tracy K. Smith, and Natasha Trethewey. Recent winners include Adrienne Chung (Organs of Little Importance, Penguin Books), Olatunde Osinaike (Tender Headed, Akashic Books), Tennison S. Black (Survival Strategies, University of Georgia Press), Courtney Bush (I Love Information, Milkweed Editions), and Alisha Dietzman (Sweet Movie, Beacon Press).