Submit To The 2023 Society of Classical Poets International Poetry Competition

The 2023 Society of Classical Poets International Poetry Competition is currently open for submission.

The 2023 Society of Classical Poets International Poetry Competition

The 2023 Society of Classical Poets International Poetry Competition is currently open for submission.

First Prize:

$2,000. Publication on the Society’s website and Journal.

Submission Fee

$20 (The fee comes with a free subscription to our monthly e-Newsletter.)

Submission Guidelines 

One to three poems on any topic. Altogether, the poems should total 108 lines or less. First click here to pay the submission fee, then email as a Word file or in the email body to submissions@classicalpoets.org. 

Put “Poetry Contest Submission” in the subject line of the email. Poems must contain meter (beginners and students may simply count syllables). 

Rhyme and other traditional techniques are encouraged as well, but not required. (To learn how to write poetry with meter, see a brief beginner’s guide on common iambic meter here 

You may alternatively mail a check made out to the Society of Classical Poets to Evan Mantyk, Society of Classical Poets. Email submissions@classicalpoets.org for mailing address.

You may pay up to $60 and send in up to three separate submissions.

Deadline:

December 31, 2023, 11:59 p.m. EST. Winners announced February 1, 2024 on our e-Newsletter and on the Society’s homepage. (Annual submission dates Sept. 1 – Dec. 31.)

High School Prize:

$200. See details here.

Judges:

C.B. Anderson

Susan Jarvis Bryant

Sally Cook

Evan Mantyk

Reid McGrath

James Sale

Joseph S. Salemi

Adam Sedia

James A. Tweedie

Who May Participate?

Anyone from any country of any background. If you are outside the United States, you would need to have a PayPal account to receive the prize money should you win First Place.

Additional Details

The poem should be written in 2023. They may be previously published. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.

Past First Place winners and the Society’s executive staff are prohibited from participating.

You do not have to be a Member of the Society to participate.

You will retain ownership of your submitted poetry. 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 on this website, in the Society of Classical Poets Journal, and in publications promoting the SCP’s mission or this annual contest, but the SCP would not be able to sell your individual poem on its own or have any further rights over it beyond these purposes. You could publish it anywhere else or sell it to any publication as desired.

You can enter up to three submissions, each containing one to three poems, not exceeding 108 lines in total per submission. Each submission requires the standard entry fee of $20.