POETRY SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA 2025-2026 ADULT CONTEST

The annual Poetry Society of Virginia Poetry Contest is returning for the 2025-2026 cycle, inviting adult poets of all backgrounds to participate in a celebration of literary creativity. The contest opens on October 31, 2025, and closes on January 19, 2026, a date chosen in honor of Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday. With 26 categories spanning a multitude of poetic forms, themes, and special awards, nearly every category offers three prize levels to recognize and reward poetic talent.

Deadline to submit: January 19, 2026 (Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday) at 11:59 pm EST

We welcome and are grateful for donations to PSV during the contest entry process!

Contest Rules

PSV contest rules comply with Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) ethics as PSV is a member of it. Specifically, PSV Board Members may not submit to the Contest per PSV Rules. Committee members may submit as long as they are not Contest judges.

Judges for the Adult Contest may not submit to the Adult Contest, either. Judges for the Student Contest may submit to the Adult Contest, unless they are also judging an Adult Category.

Contest Fees

The annual PSV Contest is free to all current PSV members. Submitters who are not current PSV members will need to follow one of the following options for their poem(s) to be considered:

• $6.50 per poem OR
• Join PSV for $40 at the same time you enter the contest. There is a $3 charge for paying through Submittable ($43 total).

Payment online for non-members of PSV occurs during the submission process. You will not need to make payment through the PSV site.

Entries

• Electronic entries only.
• You may enter as many categories as you wish.
• To submit an entry, you must create an account in Submittable. Search for Poetry Society of Virginia and navigate to the current contest.
• All entries must be in English, typed, unpublished, original, and not scheduled for publication before May 2026.
• All poems are presented anonymously to judges. Submit one copy of each poem with no identifying information.
• Type the entry category in the upper right-hand-side and note whether you are a member of PSV (does not matter if you are a current member, lifetime member, or just joined for the contest).
• DO NOT ENTER THE SAME POEM IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. Categories have varying requirements. Match the forms, lengths, and subjects of your poems to the criteria for each category.
• 1st and 2nd place winners from the previous contest year MAY NOT submit to the categories in which they won in the last year. We would like to give others a chance to enter the field. You may submit to your previously won categories after the current year.
• All entries not in compliance with category specifications and general instructions above will be disqualified.

Awards & Recognition

• Poets will be honored and invited to read their winning poems in person at our annual awards ceremony in Spring 2026.
• All 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winning poems/poets will receive a certificate and cash prize, according to the amounts specified in each category.

Publication

• 1st and 2nd place poems will be published on the PSV website and in the annual anthology of prize-winning poems.
• Your entry implies acceptance of publication unless otherwise communicated in writing at the time of submission to PSV Annual Contests.

Questions regarding the contest may be made to contests@poetrysocietyofvirginia.org.

Questions regarding Submittable may be made to: PVScontestcoordinator@poetrysocietyofvirginia.org.

Endowed Categories: Open to All

1. EDGAR ALLAN POE MEMORIAL. Any form. No line limit. Awards: $100, $50, $25. Sponsored by Poetry Society of Virginia.

2. SARAH LOCKWOOD MEMORIAL. Sonnet in rhyme and meter. Any subject. Awards: $100, $50, $25.

3. BESS GRESHAM MEMORIAL. Any form. Subject: friends and friendship. 48-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25.

4. CARLETON DREWRY MEMORIAL. Any form. Subject: farm life or working the earth. 48-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25.

5. CENIE H. MOON PRIZE. Any form. Subject: a woman or women. 48-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25.

6 JUDAH, SARAH, GRACE, AND TOM MEMORIAL. Any form. Subject: encouraging reflection on inter-ethnic relations. 48-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25.

7. CHARLOTTE WISE MEMORIAL. Any form. Any subject. 64-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25.

8. ANNE SPENCER MEMORIAL. Any form. Subject: overcoming adversity. 64-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25. Sponsored by the Poetry Society of Virginia.

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Categories Sponsored by Individuals: Open to All

9. HANDY ANDY AWARD. Limerick. Awards: $50, $30, $20

10. STRONG POINT OF VIEW. Poem centered on Instruction, Debate, or Proverbial Slant (make your light shine). Any form. 36-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25. Sponsored by anonymous member.

11. ELIZABETH NEUWIRTH. Iambic pentameter. Subject: a specific work of art other than poetry (identify the work in title or poem, or in an epigraph) 48-line limit. Awards: $50, $30, $20. Sponsored by Claudia Gary.

12. DR. LUCILE E. THOMPSON MEMORIAL. Celebrating women in science and technology. Any form. 48-line limit. Awards: $125, $100, $75. Sponsored by Dr. Kathleen P. Decker.

13. HONORING PARENTHOOD AWARD. Any form. Subject: honoring parents and/or their sacrifices.Any form. Awards: $50, $30, $20. Sponsored by an anonymous PSV member

14. EKPHRASTIC POETRY AWARD. Subject: a work of art other than poetry. (Either send a copy of the work or include a link to it.) Any form. 48-line limit. Awards: $50, $40, $30. Sponsored by Terry Cox-Joseph.15. HEROISM. Any form. Subject: Heroism, including military, paramilitary, public service, or private acts of heroism. 45-line maximum, any form. Award: $100, $75, $50. Sponsored by anonymous PSV Members.

15. HEROISM. Any form. Subject: Heroism, including military, paramilitary, public service, or private acts of heroism. 45-line maximum, any form. Award: $100, $75, $50.  Sponsored by anonymous PSV Members.

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Open to Poetry Society of Virginia Members Only

16. A CELEBRATION OF FORM POETRY IN HONOR OF ED LULL. Any form poem, i.e. sonnet, villanelle, etc. Max number of lines: 42. All submissions must use iambic pentameter or iambic tetrameter. Subject: the ocean. Award: $100, $75, $50. Sponsored by James City Poets & Calliope Poets of Williamsburg.

17. JOANNE SCOTT KENNEDY MEMORIAL. New Voices. Open only to poets who have never received a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd prize in any PSV contest. Any form. Any subject. 48-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25. Sponsored by Sofia Starnes.

18. ELIZABETH J. URQUHART MEMORIAL. A sense of place. Places— man-made, natural, personal, or historical— inform poetry with the power to evoke the past and transcend the present. Any form. Any subject. 48-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25. Sponsored by Mary DeLara and Guy Terrell.

19. JEFFREY HEWITT MEMORIAL. Any form. Subject: the theme of social commentary. 48-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25. Sponsored by Friends of Jeff Hewitt, former President of the Poetry Society.

20. ALEXANDRA “ZAN” DELAINE HAILEY MEMORIAL. Any form. Subject: inspired by an artist or a creator across disciplines. Example: Alexandra’s Poet Laureate Project was inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s letters to his brother Theo. 48-line limit. Awards: $50, $30, $20. Sponsored by the Hailey family.

21. HARDY HAIKU. Three to four (3 – 4) related haiku (i.e. a series). Any subject. Awards: $50, $30, $20. Sponsored by an anonymous long-term member.

22. CLIMATE CHANGE. Any form. Subject: the gravity of the climate change crisis and the vulnerable state of our environment. 48-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25. Sponsored by an anonymous member.

23. FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. Any form. Subject: family. 48-line limit. Awards: $100, $50, $25. Sponsored by Diana Kincannon.

24. RUSS AND ELLEN NOTAR WORLD VISION POETRY AWARD. Any form. Subject: celebrating the world and its many languages and peoples, or commenting upon the world in which we live. 48-line limit. Awards: $75, $50, $25. Sponsored by Susan Notar.

25. PSV SPOKEN WORD & VERSE VIDEO CONTEST. A video of a poet/poets (not more than 4 poets) reading/reciting an original poem 2-4 minutes in length. Videos may be submitted in MP4 format through Google Drive or YouTube link. The poet/poets reading/reciting the original poem must be visual in the video for at least 50% of the duration. Pans to natural backgrounds are allowed but NO USE OF ANIMATION, SPECIAL EFFECTS OR MUSIC IS PERMITTED. Video poems will be judged on the following categories:

• Quality, originality of poem.
• Vocal intonation and expression.
• Balance of gesture & speech.
• Quality and clarity of video.

Awards: $100, $50, $25. Sponsored by Nathan Richardson.

Volunteering Opportunities

The contest committee is actively seeking volunteers to help make this event a success. If you’re interested in joining the team, please reach out to:

Email: contests@poetrysocietyofvirginia.org

• Submissions must be received by the deadline—late entries will not be considered.
• All poets are encouraged to review each category’s requirements carefully 

Prepare your finest verses and join a tradition of poetic excellence—whether you are an established writer or a new voice waiting to be heard!

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POETRY SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA 2025-2026 STUDENT CONTEST

Deadline to submit: January 19, 2026

Contest Rules

• All PSV Student Contest categories are free to enter, but classroom or student member- ships are encouraged.
• All entries must be original and unpublished. Author retains copyright.
• Submit only one poem per student in each eligible category.
• No poem may be entered more than once.
• Poems that have previously won an award in The Poetry Society of Virginia contest are not eligible for entry.
• Poems submitted to the PSV Student Contest cannot be submitted to the PSV Adult Con- test.
• Poems must be predominantly in English; a few foreign words are acceptable.
• All poems are presented anonymously to the judges.

Submission Guidelines

• We accept electronic submissions only. Submit all poetry through Submittable.
• Overseas entrants may receive winning and honorable mention certificates for printing via email.

Questions regarding the Student Contest may be directed to Cathy Hailey at haileycp@gmail.com.

Student Categories

Categories S-1 through S-5 are open to any student locally or internationally. 

S-1 Grades 3-4 Any form. Any subject. 35 line limit. Awards: $25, $15, $10

S-2 Grades 5-6 Any form. Any subject. 35 line limit. Awards $25, $15, $10

S-3 Grades 7-8 Any form. Any subject. 35 line limit. Awards $25, $15, $10

S-4 Grades 9-10 Any form. Any subject. 40 line limit. Awards $25, $15, $10

S-5 Grades 11-12 Any form. Any subject. 40 line limit. Awards $25, $15, $10

The Jenkins Prize Sponsored by Amber, Alyssa, & Annika Jenkins. For 9th and 10th grades. Any form. Any subject. 40 line limit. Awards: $25, $15, $10

Additional Opportunities for Virginia Students

The Poetry Society Prize Sponsored by a Poetry Society of VA member. Exclusively for Virginia students in Grades 6-8. Any form. Subject: Sports or other challenge you faced. 35 line limit. Awards: $25, $15, $10

The Virginia Student Prize Sponsored by a Poetry Society of VA Member. Exclusively for Virginia students in Grades 9-12 Any form. Any subject. 35 line limit. Awards: $50, $30, $20

Spoken Word Prize Exclusively for Virginia students. 3 min. maximum (.3gp or MP4). Submit text of poem or recording by contest deadline, January 19th. Judging will take place at a Spoken Word Zoom Contest in February. Those who submit will be contacted by email with date of Zoom contest and Zoom details. You are encouraged to perform live on Zoom, but you may play your recording. First prize only: $25.