New England Poetry Club

CONTESTS ARE OPEN APRIL 1 THROUGH THE MONTH OF MAY, but NOT via Submittable

Submissions will be via email (nepc.contests@gmail.com) or postal mail. There will be no submission option via the Submittable platform.

Please go to https://nepoetryclub.org/contests/contest-guidelines/ for more information. 

Please note that these contests are open to all writers in English, with the exception of the Amy Lowell Prize which will be given to a poet with strong ties to New England.

Samuel Washington Allen Prize    For a long poem or poem sequence of 3 to 10 pages, single-spaced. The 2021  judge is Lloyd Schwartz. 

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 of no more than 21 lines. The 2021 judge is  C. Prudence Arceneaux.

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 by a poet with strong ties to New England. The 2021 judge is Toni Bee.

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. The 2021 judge is Jean Dany Joachim.

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 Prize Guidelines

Send two copies of your book with a cover page that includes your contact information to Mary Buchinger, NEPC President, 53 Regent Street, Cambridge, 02140. Entry by postal services only. May 31 postmark deadline. 

Books will not be returned. 

Non-members include a check for $15 made out to the New England Poetry Club. 

For more information on the book prizes and this year's judges, go to https://nepoetryclub.org/contests/ or to the New England Poetry Club's Facebook page.

HOW TO ENTER

Submission Period

April and May only; entries received outside these months will not be considered.
Winners announced online in August/September.

Guidelines : Please read all the guidelines carefully.

• Only one poem per contest. Include entries to all contests in a single document.
• 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 poem submitted. 
• DO NOT INCLUDE ANY INFORMATION IDENTIFYING THE AUTHOR (except on the cover sheet).
• The cover sheet and submitted poems should be included in ONE DOCUMENT. 
• 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. 
• If you are submitting a poem for the Amy Lowell Prize, please include on the cover sheet a brief note describing your strong connection to New England.

Cost
Free for Members (Membership information here. Joining is easy.) Non-members may enter by paying $5 for each poem submitted.

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)

Selection Process

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.