Free Poetry Contests for Students and Young Adults 2022–2023
Open contests with $0 entry fee to recognize young international poets and support scholarship, disabilities, faith
It’s been months since I last shared a listicle of free writing contests, so I thought it would be a good time to circulate a new collection.
Here are twelve free poetry contests arranged according to the deadline. Good luck!
1. Waltham Forest Poetry Competition 2022
Open to UK and international poets with categories for adults and below 18 on the theme of Community. There is a special prize for the funniest poem.
Prize: £50 (First Place Youth), £30 (Second Place Youth), £20 (Third Place Youth), £100 (Funniest Poem)
Deadline: October 10, 2022
Genre: Poetry
Submission Fee: Free for under 18-year-olds
Website: https://pctothepowerof2.wordpress.com/enter/
2. Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Hollins University, this annual competition is for young women sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school.
Prize: $350 cash, publication in Cargoes literary magazine, up to $5,000 scholarship, free tuition and housing for the university’s summer creative writing program and more.
Deadline: October 31, 2022
Genre: Poetry
Submission Fee: None
Winners announced: February 2023
Website: https://www.hollins.edu/academics/majors-minors/english-creative-writing-major/nancy-thorp-poetry-contest/
3. Disabled Poets Prize 2023
Seeking entries from deaf and disabled poets living in the UK aged over 18. There are three categories: Best Single Poem, Best Poem Performed in British Sign Language, and Best Unpublished Pamphlet.
Prize: £500 (First Place), £250 (Second Place), £100 (Third Place), and three highly commended prizes of £50 each. In addition, a session with CRIPtic Arts and Spread the Word, one full year membership to The Literary Consultancy’s Being a Writer community platform and an opportunity to read or perform the winning poem at the 2023 Verve Poetry Festival in February 2023.
Deadline: October 31, 2022
Genre: Poetry
Submission Fee: None but donations are welcome
Website: https://disabledpoetsprize.org.uk/
4. Young Writers Awards
Calling submissions from both US and international students. This annual competition is to celebrate Bennington College’s unique literary legacy and to encourage exceptional writing at the high school level.
Prize: $1,000 (First Place), $500 (Second Place), $250 (Third Place) and eligibility for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington.
Deadline: November 1, 2022
Genre: Poetry
Submission Fee: None
Website: https://www.bennington.edu/events/young-writers-awards
5. Rebekah Pace’s Faith Poetry Contest
Theme: God works in mysterious ways
Prize: Poem recorded as a song and a signed copy of All I Want for Christmas
Deadline: November 28, 2022
Submission Fee: None
Judge: Gilad Hesseg
Winner announced: December 2, 2022
Website: https://rebekahpace.com/poetry-contest/
6. Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize
This is an annual poetry contest for U.S. or international students in the eleventh grade.
Prize: $1,500 (First Place), $750 (Second Place), $500 (Third Place)
Deadline: November 27, 2022
Genre: Poetry
Submission Fee: None
Judges: Poets on the Princeton University creative writing faculty
Website: https://arts.princeton.edu/about/opportunities/high-school-contests/poetry-contest/
7. Clinton F. Larson Poetry Contest
This contest is open to all serious poets except employees and families of Brigham Young University (BYU) and members of the Editorial Board. A variety of topics is encouraged. Submissions must be in English.
Prize: $1,500 (First Place), $1000 (Second Place), $500 (Third Place)
Deadline: January 21, 2023
Genre: Poetry
Submission Fee: None
Previous Winners: https://byustudies.byu.edu/contest-winners/
Website: https://byustudies.byu.edu/contests/
8. Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award
Seeking submissions from poets who are enrolled as an undergraduate in a United States college or university. Entries must be unpublished, original poems with traditional meter and rhyme.
Prize: $1,500 (First Prize), $500 (Runner-up)
Deadline: March 15, 2023
Genre: Poetry
Submission Fee: None
Website: https://www.wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/poetry/contestAwards.aspx
9. Sonnet Award
Part of the Iris Awards, the Sonnet Award seeks outstanding unpublished original sonnets.
Prize: $1,000
Deadline: March 15, 2023
Genre: Poetry, Sonnet
Submission Fee: None
Website: https://www.wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/poetry/contestAwards.aspx
10. Villanelle Award
Part of the Iris Awards, the Villanelle Award welcomes outstanding original villanelles. All entries will be anonymous and confidential during the judging process.
Prize: $1,000
Deadline: March 15, 2023
Genre: Poetry
Submission Fee: None
Website: https://www.wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/poetry/contestAwards.aspx
11. Myong Cha Son Haiku Award
Created by Kyle R. Spencer, this award is for unpublished, original haiku.
Prize: $1,500 (First Prize), $500 (Runner-up)
Deadline: March 15, 2023
Genre: Poetry
Submission Fee: None
Website: https://www.wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/poetry/contestAwards.aspx
12. Rhina P. Espaillat Award
This award is to recognize excellent original poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish.
Prize: $500
Deadline: March 15, 2023
Genre: Poetry
Submission Fee: None
Website: https://www.wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/poetry/contestAwards.aspx
Author’s Note: I’m not an affiliate of the mentioned awards and contests. The links are references and not endorsements.
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