SPECIAL CONTESTS
Special contests are sponsored by Austin Poetry Society patrons at different times throughout the year. Poets must be current Austin Poetry Society members to enter and must follow the official Austin Poetry Society contest rules.
http://www.stannieamec.org/APS_contest_rules.html
One entry per person, no subsequent corrections. Entries may be submitted as a text message or an allowed attachment format (.doc or .docx); no other attachment formats will be allowed. Entries to be sent to: austinpoetrycontest@gmail.com
2025 ANNUAL CONTESTS
The Annual Contests for 2025 are listed below. .
1. The Austin Poetry Society Award
Sponsor: The Austin Poetry Society
Any subject, any form, 28-line limit.
1st Prize: $200
2nd Prize: $100
3rd Prize: $50
4th Prize: $35
5th Prize: $15
2. The President's Award
Sponsor: Joshua Kight
Any Subject, any form
1-page limit, 12-point font
1st Prize: $100
2nd Prize: $75
3rd Prize: $50
3. The Haiku Sequence Award
Sponsor: Garrison Martt
Subject: Any single theme about nature or a season
Form: A sequence of 5 traditional English style haiku
Lines: 3 lines per haiku (with 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables)
1st Prize: $25
2nd Prize: $15
3rd Prize: $10
4. Encounter with Transcendence and the Practice of the Presence
Sponsors: Jeffrey Taylor and Janelle Curlin-Taylor
Subject: Encounters with Transcendence are spontaneous. Maintaining the wisdom of the encounter involves Practice. Where the two meet there is a poem. The beauty of metaphor, it opens doors.
Any Form, 40-line limit.
1st Prize: $75
2nd Prize: $50
3rd Prize: $25
5. Elegy
Sponsor: Amy Schumacher
Subject: A poem that laments the dead while exploring feelings of loss
Form: Traditional or challenging form
36-line limit
1st Prize: $50
2nd Prize: $30
3rd Prize: $20
6. Funny
Sponsor: Ben Nash
Any form, 36-line limit
1st Prize: $40.00
2nd Prize: $20.00
3rd Prize: $10.00
7. Family
Sponsor: Ben Nash
Any form, 36-line limit
1st 40.00
2nd 20.00
3rd 10.00
8. Spoken Word
Sponsor: Ben Nash
1 minute limit on any poem
1st Prize: $40.00
2nd Prize: $20.00
3rd Prize: $10.00
9. Texas Drought
Sponsor: Irene Keller
Theme: Effects of the on-going drought in Texas
Any Form
1-page limit, 12-point font
1st Prize: $100.00
2nd Prize: $75.00
3rd Prize: $50.00
10. Animate the Inanimate
Sponsor: Susan Martinello
Theme: Give voice to any non-living thing. The object is the speaker of the poem.
Any Form, 30-line limit
1st Prize: $75
2nd Prize: $50
3rd Prize: $25
11. Paper Wings
Sponsor: Mike Alkus
Subject: A poem about fragility
Form: Any form, 40-line limit
1st Prize: $40
2nd Prize: $25
3rd Prize: $15
12. Silence
Sponsor: Ailana Larson
Any Subject: All possible kinds of silence can be explored.
Any form, 36-line limit.
1st Prize: $35
2nd Prize: $30
3rd Prize: $25
4th Prize: $10
Poets must be current Austin Poetry Society members to enter these contests and must follow the official Austin Poetry Society contest rules.
http://www.stannieamec.org/APS_contest_rules.html
Entries may be submitted as a text message or an allowed attachment format (.doc or .docx); no other attachment formats will be allowed. Entries to be sent to: austinpoetrycontest@gmail.com
The Annual Awards are open in August and must be received by August 31, 11:59 p.m. CST. The Austin Poetry Society Annual Awards Program for 2025 will be held on Saturday, November 15th.