The 2023-2024 Evaristo Prize for African Poetry is open! This competition is all about celebrating African poets and their creative works. If you’re an African poet, we highly encourage you to participate.

The Evaristo prize, formerly known as the Brunel International African Poetry Prize (BIAPP), was founded by British writer Bernardine Evaristo back in 2012. For a whole decade, she took the lead. Just last year, the African Poetry Book Fund took over the management of the prize. This organization is passionately dedicated to supporting poetry in Africa.

In the last competition, the contest  had two winners: Feranmi Ariyo from Nigeria and Gracia “Cianga” Mwamba from Congo/USA.

More so, Judging Panel for this year are: Gabeba Baderoon (Chair), Tjawangwa Dema, and Mahtem Shiferraw.

Eligibility

• If you’re African, whether you were born in Africa, are a citizen or resident of an African country, or have African parents, you’re eligible to participate.
• You can join if you haven’t published a whole book of poetry yet. Self-published poetry books are perfectly acceptable.
• They warmly welcome poems written in English. In the case where the winning work is a translation, we’ll also reward the translator.

Submission Guidelines 

• Your poems must be original and no longer than 40 lines each.
• It’s perfectly fine if your poems have been published or won awards before.
• Even if you’ve entered this competition previously, you can still submit new poems.
• Make sure your poems are in Times New Roman or Arial, size 12, single-spaced, with one poem on each page.
• Send all your poems in one document without including your personal info. Remember, you can’t change your poems after you submit them.
• Please use black ink only, no colors.
• To enter, simply use our Submittable platform.
• In the Submittable cover letter, kindly provide your name, nationality, country of birth, full address (including your permanent residence country), personal email, and phone number. Rest assured, this information remains private.
• Deadline for this contest is November 1, 2023.  Submit your poetry and be part of this wonderful celebration of African creativity.

Prize

• The Evaristo Prize for African Poetry awards USD $1,500 for ten poems written by an African poet.

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The Ex-Puritan Magazine is currently calling for applications from interested poets to lead their poetry section. 

The Ex-Puritan began in 2007 as The Puritan Literary Magazine, an independently funded print journal dedicated to publishing fiction, essays, and interviews in Ottawa, Ontario, and was sold in bookstores across the city. In its early years, The Puritan was Ottawa’s only quarterly prose journal. After a brief hiatus, the magazine returned to publishing, now in the form of an online magazine run from Toronto. Since expanding its mandate to include poetry, reviews, and experimental work, The Ex-Puritan now seeks to publish the best in all forms of writing.

The magazine is unique in its approach to its poetry section: they have published some of the leading contemporary Canadian poets alongside new and emerging writers who have later helped to shape Canada’s literary conversation. For the first time since 2016, they are looking for a dedicated individual to continue this legacy and transition into their poetry department starting with their Winter 2024 issue (beginning in December 2023).

Interested candidates must be based in Canada or have a connection to Canada (citizens/refugees/Indigenous peoples/PR holders etc.).

The Poetry Editor Will:

• Work with the Managing Editor to ensure there is a team of sufficient readers to help with managing the submissions.
• Review all upvoted submissions to select work by between 5–10 poets per issue.
• Solicit poetry when necessary.
• Send out acceptance and rejection emails prior to the publication of the next issue.
• Actively work to diversify the demographic of poets, prioritizing work from disabled writers, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ writers, and other marginalized writers.
• Edit accepted pieces and coordinate with the authors to meet the publishing deadline.
• Attend and participate in regular masthead meetings.

Eligibility Guidelines for Ex-Puritan Magazine’s Call for Poetry Editors.

• Multiple years of experience as a working poet
• Knowledge of and interest in contemporary Canadian literature, literary communities, and magazine publishing
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Proficiency with MS programs and Google mail/docs
• The ability to meet strict deadlines.
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team

How to Apply for the Ex-Puritan Magazine’s Open Call For Poetry Editors.

Interested candidates should familiarize themselves with the magazine, its history, and the work it publishes,

• Then send a cover letter and a creative resume (or CV) as .doc, .docx, or .pdf attachment to editors@ex-puritan.ca.
• Cover letters should answer the following questions:

1. If you’re familiar with recent issues of the Ex-Puritan, what—in your own opinion as an editor, as a reader, as a poet—is wrong with the poetry section, and what would you do about it?
2. What experience do you have as an editor?
3.  What knowledge do you have of the current Canadian poetry scene? and
4.  What experience makes you specifically suited for a role as a Poetry Editor?

• Learn more about the submission process on their social media page.
• Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Payment

This is a volunteer position, currently receiving a $250 honorarium per quarterly issue ($1000/year).

Deadline

Submission closes November 3, 2023.

If you are interested in becoming a poetry editor, you should learn how to analyze poems properly. 

Goodluck.

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The House of Zolo’s Journal of Speculative Literature in it’s third edition is looking for radical, forward-thinking fiction and poetry that examines the future of our planet as it relates to Climate Change.

The House of Zolo’s Journal of Speculative Literature is looking for poetry submissions of up to three poems; and short story submissions from 1,000 to 6,000 words, that address the urgent issue of Climate Change. Utopias, dystopias, magic realism, horror, science fiction—all speculative genres are welcome.

Submission Guidelines for House of Zolo’s Journal of Speculative Literature Call to Submission.

• Deadline for submission is APRIL 15, 2021.
• They will pay authors $25 per poem, and $50-$75 per story, for non-exclusive, worldwide, serial rights for both electronic and print.
• Send your submissions through EMAIL as a WORD DOCUMENT to: houseofzolopublishing@gmail.com with “POETRY SUBMISSION” or “FICTION SUBMISSION”, as the Subject Line.
• Please include a brief synopsis of your story in your email, as well as a short bio.

What the House of Zolo’s Journal looks for in Fiction

• HOZ is looking for literature that explores possibilities for the future.
• They want challenging short stories that are character driven, that reimagine the world and our places in it.
• They are looking for: BIPOC authors, feminist authors, LGBTQ2S authors, radical authors, authors who experiment.
• Themes that thrill like transhumanism, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, new systems, resistance, activism, queer perspectives, feminist perspectives, nature.
• HOZ is not interested in stories that concern the reinvention of empire, rehashing of old narratives, or excessive violence.
• They entertain all genre based stories so long as they concern the future and especially if related to the current theme.
• That said, they are looking for the best speculative fiction stories.

What HOZ looks for in Poetry

• HOZ is looking for works of speculative poetry that imagine the future of the world, the future of nature, technology, and/or the human being.
• Any form of poetry is welcomed.
• Like the call for fiction they are very interested in radical, BIPOC, feminist, LGBTQ2S, and/or experimental poetry.
• You may submit poems on any future related subject or theme but here are some of our favourite areas: transhumanism, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, new systems, resistance, activism, queer perspectives, feminist perspectives, nature.
• The HOZ journal is published as a print and ebook, and journals may be bound together into semi-annual collections.
• They ask for non-exclusive, worldwide, serial rights to your work for both electronic and print.
• HOZ does not consider previously published work, and reprints that are currently available for free online.

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The Foley Poetry Contest_: America Media is sponsor of the annual Foley Award, given in honor of William T. Foley, M.D.

Asides from organising The Foley Poetry Contest, America Media is the leading provider of news and analysis for thinking Catholics and those who want to know what Catholics are thinking. They are known across the Catholic world for their unique brand of excellent, relevant and accessible coverage. From theology and spirituality to politics, international relations, arts and letters, and the economy and social justice, their coverage spans the globe. America, their flagship print magazine has been published continuously since 1909. America Media is sponsored by the Jesuit Conference of the United States and Canada.

Submission Guidelines For The Foley Poetry Contest_:

• Each entrant is asked to submit one poem of 45 lines or fewer for consideration.
• Only unpublished poems not under consideration elsewhere will be considered.
• Poems may address any topic.
• Submissions must be received between midnight ET on January 1 and 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31, 2020.
• Entrants may be submitted by Submittable or by postal mail to: Foley Poetry Contest, America Media,1212 Avenue of the America, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10036.
• The winning poem will be announced in early June and published in the print edition of America.
• The cash prize is $1,000.

Each year approximately 1,000 poems are submitted. Our poetry editor and judge for the contest is Joseph Hoover, S.J. The winning poet will be required to sign a letter of agreement with America Media, publisher of America. Under this agreement, the poet will have the right to sell or republish his/her poem after it is published. It also gives to America Media the right to republish or allow others to republish the poem in any form.

Please submit no more than one poem. Since formatting is often critical to the integrity of a poem and its presentation, they ask that you submit your poem in PDF format.

Questions can be directed to America’s Poetry Editor, Br. Joe Hoover, S.J. at jhoover@americamedia.org.

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The Society of Classical Poets is accepting poetry translations for their 2021 Poetry Translation Competition.

Poets are encouraged to submit poetry translations of poems from the romantic period or earlier. Good knowledge of the iambic meter is an advantage.

Eligibility for The Society of Classical Poets 2021 Poetry Translation Competition

• Poets can be from anywhere in the world
• No age restriction
• No entry fee
• Submission must be poetry translations

Deadline

December 31, 2020, 11:59 p.m. EST

Winners announced February 1, 2021

Submission Guidelines for The Society of Classical Poets 2021 Poetry Translation Competition

• Only translated poetry is accepted
• It may be previously published
• Translations should not exceed 108 lines 
• Translated poetry should be from the romantic period or earlier
• Translations should be metered
• Include poem in its original language
• Rhyme and other traditional techniques are encouraged as well, but not required
• Email translations to submissions@classicalpoets.org
• Simultaneous Submission are accepted

To learn how to write poetry with meter, see a brief beginner’s guide on common iambic meter here or a more elaborate beginner’s guide to many kinds of meter here

Judges for The Society of Classical Poets 2021 Poetry Translation Competition

Evan Mantyk, editor of The Society of Classical Poets Journal and website

Additional Details

• Past First Place winners and the Society’s executive staff and editors are prohibited from participating.
• You do not have to be a Member of the Society to participate.
• You will retain ownership of your submitted translation
• By submitting it to the Society for publication or for inclusion in the contest, should it rank among winners or receive an honorable mention, you give the Society permission to publish it online but the SCP would not be able to sell your individual translation on its own. You could publish it anywhere else or sell it to any publication as desired.

Prize

• $100
• Publication on the Society’s website and Journal.

 Remember to edit your poem before you submit it to the organizers.

The post The Society of Classical Poets 2021 Poetry Translation Competition($100 + Publication) appeared first on Creative Writing News.

The 2022 edition of the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets is currently open for submissions. This annual award is for African Poets who have not yet published a collection of poetry.

Prizes:

The winner of the 2022 edition of the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets is given USD $1,000 and publication with University of Nebraska Press

Eligibility for the 2022 edition of the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets

• Must be an African poet
• Unpublished poets
• Students or employees at the University of Nebraska

No entry fee is required to submit to the contest.

You’re Ineligible to Enter For This Award: If You Fall Into Any Of These Categories:

• Past or present paid employees of the University of Nebraska Press or Amalion Press, or current faculty
• Published poets of book length poetry collection
• Self published poets that have sold their books online, in stores or at readings

Deadline for the contest:

December 1, 2022

Submission Guidelines for the 2022 Edition Of The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets

• Poetry manuscripts should be at least 50 pages long
• Author’s name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript as all entries will be read anonymously
• A cover page with only the title of the manuscript should be included and an acknowledgement page listing the publication history of individual poems may be included.
• Eligible writers can submit more than one manuscript
• According to the press release: 

An acknowledgements page listing the publication history of individual poems may be included, if desired.

This means that you can add previously published poems to your manuscript.

Manuscript Formatting Guidelines You should Use:

• Times New Roman or Arial
• 12 point font
• Single spaced
• One poem per page

To submit, upload your submission of the ABBF Submissions Page

Judges for the contest:

The African Poetry Book Fund Editorial Board includes;

• Kwame Dawes
• Chris Abani
• Gabeba Baderoon
• Philippa yaa de Villers
• Bernedine Evaristo
• Aracelis Girmay
• John Keene, and
• Matthew Shenoda

For more details on or if you want to know more about other publishing or literary activities like the unsolicited poetry submission from both published or unpublished writers, you can visit their website or email psbookprize@unl.edu

For poetry writing tips, click here

Good Luck!

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Author of the micro-chap “Calling Out Grief” (Ghost City Press, 2019) and a final year undergraduate student of English and Literature at the University of Benin – Michael Akuchie wins the Hellebore Poetry Scholarship Award for 2019 – 2020 for his poetry manuscript, Wreck. 

“Wreck features sharp language and images and a reaching towards God that filled me with wonder and spiritual fulfillment. The poems are excellently crafted and each one sings.” – José Olivarez.

Michael Akuchie’s Wreck was selected by the poet José Olivarez,  author of Citizen Illegal and a recipient of the 2019 Ruth Lilly & Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation. On Akuchie’s manuscript, José Olivarez writes: “Wreck features sharp language and images and a reaching towards God that filled me with wonder and spiritual fulfillment. The poems are excellently crafted and each one sings.” 

Congratulations to Michael Akuchie; we can’t wait to read this book.

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A literary magazine that publishes twelve poems each month, Kissing Dynamite now has a press.

This year, the press released its very first publication, “Lifting Every Voice”, an international poetry anthology that also features works by some Nigerian poets, including Aremu Adams Adebisi and Adedayo Agarau.

The press now seeks submissions of tiny poetry books for publication in 2020; they will publish between 2-4 poetry microchap books. Submission opens on the 1st of December, 2019, and will close by the 15th of December, 2019.

To better your poetry, check out this article: Modifying Your Sahara: A Poetry Masterclass with Kaveh Akbar. 

Who is Eligible to Submit:

• Anyone from anywhere in the world.
• Anyone with a tiny poetry book.
• There is no entry fee.

How to Submit:

• Submit a poetry manuscript of not more than fifteen pages that best represents you.
• If the microchap contains more than one poem, start every poem on a new page.
• The manuscript must not exceed 15 pages; there is no minimum number of pages.
• Send your submission to kissingdynamitepoetry@gmail.com. The subject of the email should read: “MICROCHAP—[Title of Collection].”
• The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2019.

Prizes:

• The poet whose manuscript is selected will receive $50.
• The poetry chapbook will be published.
• The poet will receive 10 copies of the published book.

Good luck.

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The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets is now open for submissions. Awarded annually to a debut poetry book or manuscript by an African poet, the prize is given by the African Poetry Book Fund, in partnership with Praire Schooner and the University of Nebraska. The prize comes with prize money of a $1000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press.

Nigeria’s Gbenga Adeoba won the prize in 2019 for his manuscript “Exodus”; the previous year, it went to Botswana’s TJ Dema, for her collection “The Careless Seamstress”.

The deadline for submissions is the 1st of December, 2019.

Who is Eligible to Apply:

• Any African poet writing in English who has not published a full length collection.
• “An “African  writer” is taken to mean someone who was born in Africa, who is a  national or resident of an African country, or whose parents are  African,” according to their site.
• There is no entry fee.

How to Apply:

• Submit a poetry manuscript that is at least 50 pages long.
• Make sure that your name does not appear on the manuscript.
• Include a cover page that lists the title of the manuscript.
• You may also include an acknowledgements page listing the publication history of individual poems.
• There are no specific formatting rules. Preferably, manuscript should be in Times New Roman or Ariel, 12 pt, and single spaced.
• Each poem must also begin on a new page.
• Eligible writers may submit more than one manuscript.
• The deadline for submissions is the 1st of December, 2019.
• Submit here.

Prizes:

• A $1000 cash award.
• Book deal from the University of Nebraska Press.

Good luck poets!

Click to Read Ten Brilliant Poets Discuss Their Writing Philosophies, Recommend Stellar Poems and Offer Tips On How Best To Handle Rejections

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No Tokens, “a journal that celebrates work that is felt in the spine”, has launched a prize for young poets. The magazine has published such writers as Kiprop Kimutai, Kristin Chang, and Omatara James. The Young Poets’ Prize is open to all poets of ages eighteen and under. The deadline is October 1st, 2019.

Who is Eligible to Apply for the No Tokens Young Poets’ Prize?

• Entrants may come from anywhere in the world.
• No entry fee is required.
• Entrants must be eighteen years of age or under.
• The prize is open to poets only. No short story submissions.

Who are the Judges?

The No Tokens editorial team will be judging and selecting the three prize-winning poems.

How to Apply.

• Send up to 5 poems in a single document.
• Poems must be in English.
• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable.
• Please include your name and contact information on the first page of your submission.
• Submit your entry via the No Tokens Submittable Account.
• Please note that submissions for the prize closes by October 1st, 2019.

Prizes:

• Three prizes will be awarded to three poems (first, second and third) in the amount of $300, $200, and $100 respectively.
• The three prize-winning poems will be published in No Tokens, Issue 9—launching in print at AWP 2020.
• The winning poets will also be invited to read their work at the No Tokens Issue 9 Launch party in NYC, Spring 2020.

Goodluck poets.

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