Poetry Book Prize
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2026 BARROW STREET PRESS POETRY BOOK CONTEST
The Barrow Street Press Poetry Book Contest, open to new as well as established poets, is awarded for a book-length collection of poems written originally in English. The winner will receive book publication by Barrow Street Press, and $1,500.
The Barrow Street Editors Prize will be awarded to a manuscript of extraordinary merit. The winner will receive a book contract and publication with Barrow Street Press.
Judge: Srikanth Reddy
Deadline: June 30, 2026
Fee: $30
Online submissions only.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit a 50-80 page unpublished manuscript of original poetry in English. Please number the pages of your manuscript and include a table of contents. An acknowledgments page is optional.
Important note: manuscripts by current and former students and close friends of the contest judge will not be considered. If for any reason the contest judge is unable to choose a winner, the editorial board will make the final decision.
ONLINE SUBMISSION
Use Submittable to enter your contact information, upload the file containing your manuscript and pay the contest entry fee. Please include your full contact info in the Submittable contact form only. The author’s name, address, and telephone number should not appear anywhere in the manuscript. You will need to upload the file containing your manuscript in either .doc(x) or .pdf format.
Please note that you can only submit one manuscript at a time, so if you are submitting multiple manuscripts, you will need to follow these instructions for each one. Please submit a blind copy of your manuscript. Your name or any other identifying markers should not appear on the manuscript anywhere. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but if your manuscript is selected for publication by another press, please withdraw your manuscript from this contest by emailing the contest manager, rrothenberg.barrowstreet@gmail.com. Contest entry fees are non– refundable.
As Barrow Street is an independent, mostly volunteer-run non-profit press, charging submission fees during our contest periods is a necessity. However, we understand that contest fees are often an obstacle that prevents many worthy writers from sending their work. We offer a limited number of discounted contest entries, available upon request.
For all contest queries, please contact Sr. Associate Editor Rachel Rothenberg: rrothenberg.barrowstreet@gmail.com