CONTESTS
New England Poetry Club has always recognized the outstanding work of poets with its annual awards and contests. The Board has revised its contests and is excited to announce the following prizes, which are open to all writers in English. We hope you will be inspired to send your work.
Samuel Washington Allen Prize
For a long poem or poem sequence of 3 to 10 pages, single-spaced.
This prize honors the legacy of the African-American poet, translator, professor, and former New England Poetry Club leader, Samuel Washington Allen, who also published as Paul Vesey.
E. E. Cummings Prize
For a compelling, lyrical, or experimental poem under 21 lines.
This prize recognizes one of the New England Poetry Club’s most famous charter members.
Amy Lowell Prize
For an outstanding poem of any length or style.
This prize recognizes the charismatic poet who was the New England Poetry Club’s first president.
Der-Hovanessian Prize
For a translation from any language; the original poem should be authored by someone other than the translator. Include the poem in the original language along with the translation.
This long-standing prize is named in honor of poet and translator Diana Der-Hovanessian who led the New England Poetry Club with vision and energy for decades.
BOOK PRIZES
Jean Pedrick Chapbook Prize
For a chapbook of poems published in the last two years.
Sheila Margaret Motton Book Prize
For a book of poems published in the last two years.
STUDENT CONTESTS
In addition, the New England Poetry Club, in cooperation with the Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, offers three student contests. To learn about the student contests, scroll down to “Contests Open to Students.”
HOW TO ENTER
Submission Period
April and May only; entries received outside these months will not be considered. Winners announced in August/September on our website, and on Facebook and Twitter.
Prizes and Recognition
Winners of individual poem contests will receive:
- $250
- Publication of winning poems on NEPC website
- Opportunity to read at the NEPC (travel expenses not included)
Winners of Book Prizes will receive:
- $250 award
- 250 NEPC Award book-cover stickers (gold or silver-foil stickers which identify the book as prize-winning)
- Opportunity to read at the NEPC (travel expenses not included)
Selection Process
Contests judges are well-known poets who may have won previous NEPC contests.
Judges read manuscripts with no identifying information.
Judges reserve the right not to select a winner.
The New England Poetry Club will not engage in correspondence regarding poems submitted or contest decisions.
Rights
We require First Rights and won’t consider poems that have been self-published, published online, or posted to blogs. All rights revert to the author upon publication. We would appreciate acknowledgement in future publications of award-winning work.
Cost
Free for Members (Membership information here. Joining is easy.)
Non-members may enter by paying $5 for each poem submitted.
There is a $15 reading fee for non-members who wish to be considered for a Book Prize.
How do I pay?
Credit card or PayPal when submitting via Submittable; if submitting by post, make checks out to New England Poetry Club.
How to Submit
Use the Submittable link OR mail submissions to:
Hilary Sallick, Vice-President, NEPC
46 Wallace Street
Somerville, MA 02144
Guidelines (see below for book prizes): Please read all the guidelines carefully.
- Only one poem per contest.
- Entries must be original unpublished (neither print nor online) poems in English.
- No poem may be entered in more than one contest, nor should it have won a previous NEPC contest.
- On a SEPARATE COVER SHEET, provide the author’s name and contact information (email address is preferred) and list the poem titles and contests entered (e.g. “The Wasteland” — Samuel Washington Allen Prize).
- The name of the contest should appear at the top of the page for each submission.
- DO NOT INCLUDE ANY INFORMATION IDENTIFYING THE AUTHOR(except on the cover sheet).
- If submitting by Submittable link:
The cover sheet and submitted poems should be included in ONE DOCUMENT. Do not include identifying information on the work itself. Do include the name(s) of the contest(s). - If submitting by post: No entries should be sent special delivery or express mail. Regular mail only. No email entries. Do not include identifying information on the work itself. Do include the name of the contest.
Book Prize Guidelines
Send two copies of your book to Mary Buchinger, NEPC President, 53 Regent Street, Cambridge, 02140. Entry by postal services only. Non-members include a check for $15 made out to the New England Poetry Club.
Feel free to contact Hilary Sallick at hilary.sal@earthlink.net if you have questions about any of the contests or guidelines.
CONTESTS OPEN TO STUDENTS
Entries must be postmarked by April 4th.
Contest results are announced online at https://www.nps.gov/long/index.htm and https://nepoetryclub.org/, and on Facebook and Twitter.
Include the following information with each poem:
- Contest name
- Author’s name and grade
- Teacher’s name, school name, and address
- Email address for contacting winners
Send to:
Children’s Contests
Longfellow National Historic Site
105 Brattle St.
Cambridge MA 02138
Winners will be invited to read their work at the Longfellow House and will receive a certificate and a small honorarium.
Ruth Berrien Fox Award
For poems by Massachusetts high-school students
Longfellow Prize
For poems by Massachusetts students in elementary and middle schools