Submit to these free poetry Contests Canada 2023. These writing competitions Canada 2023 are for Canadian writers and poets.
Poetry Contests Canada 2023 List
This blog post, poetry contests Canada 2023 comprises a list of free poetry contests in Canada. Poetry, as one of the genres of literature could be regarded as the most simple yet complicated form of writing that has been diverse and developed in respect of several literary rules.
In respect of this, and in order to bring to you available poetry competitions Canada 2023 that could help your writing career and writing confidence, we have decided to collate this list for those who are majorly Canadians by descents or residents of Canada.
Before proceeding to enter any of the competitions in the poetry competitions Canada 2023, we'll require you to go through some of these tips as they might help you get more insight and clarification as to what is required of you while submitting for these competitions.
Things To Consider While Submitting To Poetry Contests Canada 2023
- Check the eligibility requirements. Requirements in respect of age, publication, education qualification are something to make sure of. Failure to meet any of the requirements may lead to error in submission.
- Check the deadline. This is very essential.
- Submission Guidelines. This very common in poetry competitions and as such requires proper attention.
Join the Second WhatsApp group— If the first group gets filled up.
Benefits Of Submitting To Poetry Contests Canada 2023
- Submitting to any of the competitions in this list will guarantee you one or more of the following:
- Cash Prizes
- Publication
- Recognition in literary events
- Scholarships and Mentorship among many others.
Enjoy the list of Canadian poetry contests 2023!
Poetry Contests Canada 2023
These contests are organized according to the days and months of deadlines.
January Poetry Contests Canada 2023
- Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award 2023
We are now accepting submissions for the Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award. The winning poet will receive $500 and publication in the Spring 2023 issue of Fourteen Hills. There is no submission fee. Poems not chosen for the award will be considered for publication in Fourteen Hills.
About Stacy Doris
Stacy Doris was a poet, translator, and an Associate Professor in San Francisco State University's Department of Creative Writing, where she taught for ten years. Her poetry is widely recognized; Fledge: A Phenomenology of Spirit, published shortly after her death, is available from Nightboat Books. Poet Maxine Chernoff has referred to it as “a miracle of attentiveness.”
She was also highly regarded for her writing in French and her contribution to interactions among contemporary French and American poetry and poets.
Doris created new worlds with her unexpected poetics. Following upon her spirit of creative invention, engaging wit and ingenious playfulness, discovery in construction, and radical appropriations based on classical forms, pastiche, etc., and love, the Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award is given to a poet with a truly inventive spirit.
Deadline: January 15, 2023
- RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers 2023
Established in memory of writer Bronwen Wallace, this award has a proven track record of helping talented developing authors get their first book deal. Two $10,000 prizes will be given for outstanding works of unpublished poetry and short fiction.
The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award is sponsored by RBC Emerging Artists. The initiative supports organizations that provide the best opportunity for artists to advance in their projected career paths. Providing key funding across artistic genres, RBC contributes to the positive, sustained impact of the arts in building strong, diverse, and vibrant communities. Since 2015, more than 28,000 artists have been supported through these programs.
Genre: Poetry and Short Story
Winner: $10,000; Finalists: $2,500
Deadline: January 16, 2023
February Poetry Contests Canada 2023
- Deep Wild 2023 Graduate Student Poetry Contest
Grad students, send us your three best poems that are backcountry infused and inspired, and that together add up to no more than 100 lines. There are no fees to submit, and the top three winners will receive cash awards.
The winners will receive: The 1st Place prize is $300, 2nd Place $200, and 3rd Place $100.
The editors of Deep Wild: Writing from the Backcountry invite students currently enrolled in graduate studies to submit work for our 2023 Graduate Student Poetry Contest.
Timeline For Submission: Submissions will be accepted from November 1 through February 1 2023
July Poetry Contests Canada 2023
- Stephen Spender Prize 2023
The Stephen Spender Prize is the leading annual prize for poetry in translation, with categories for pupils, teachers and individual young people in the UK and Ireland, as well as an Open category for adults from all over the world. The rules are simple: translate into English any poem from any language – from French to Farsi, from Spanish to Somali—and win publication and cash prizes!
Deadline: July 14
- 2023 Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest
Helen Schaible was a poet, mother, teacher, classicist. The Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest was established in her memory in 1998 by the Poets Club of Chicago and funded by a gift from Helen's daughters Jane Edwards, Lucy Parker, and Katherine Martin, and her son, the late David Schaible.
First Prize: $50. Second Prize: $30. Third Prize: $20.
Three Honorable Mentions and three Special Merits will be named per category, ranked.
Contest Rules & Submission Period
Submission Period: June 1 – July 15, 2023. Free and open to all!
- The Black Voices in Children’s Literature: Writing Contest 2023
Us&Canada
The Black Voices in Children’s Literature: Writing Contest 2023 is sponsored by Strive Publishing and Free Spirit Publishing.
Open for submissions from June 19 to July 24, 2023.
First Place: $1,000 cash prize, a T-shirt from Strive, a tote bag from Free Spirit, and a meeting with Mary Taris, founder of Strive, and an editor from Free Spirit to discuss the winner’s project.
The winning submission will be seriously considered for publication by Free Spirit, cobranded with Strive; however, publication is not guaranteed.
Second Place: $500 cash prize, a T-shirt from Strive, and a tote bag from Free Spirit
Third Place: $250 cash prize, a T-shirt from Strive, and a tote bag from Free Spirit
- Winchester Poetry Prize 2023
First Prize: £1,000, 2nd Prize: £500, 3rd Prize: £250.
A prize is also available for the best poem written by a Hampshire-based poet.
Closing Date: 31 July 2023 (11:59pm)
- The 1729 Book Prize in Poetry 2023
In collaboration with The Ivy Bookshop, the 1729 Prize is an annual contest provided by Mason Jar Press. Free to enter, with a $1,000 award and guaranteed publication, the Prize seeks the finest unpublished manuscripts of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
The 1729 Prize alternates yearly between Poetry and Prose. Our inaugural Prize in Poetry is currently being judged by Diane Zinna and our forthcoming Poetry Prize will be judged by Chen Chen. More details within
Deadline: July 31
- SURGING TIDE: THE ANNUAL SUMMER WRITING CONTEST
Surging Tide is pleased to launch our Second Annual Writing Contest 2023 this summer.
Please find below a more detailed prompt as well as guidelines on how to submit.
Surging Tide editors will shortlist 3-5 writers in each category (poetry and prose).
We will forward this list onto the judges, who will select a winner and a runner-up. All shortlisted writers and artists will be guaranteed publication in Surging Tide Issue 10, though all pieces submitted will be considered.
In addition, the winner and runner-up will receive written commentary from their respective contest judges.
Entrants can submit ONE piece per category per submission or up to FIVE pieces with a donation to Surging Tide. Multi-genre submissions allowed (i.e. you can submit one poem and one flash fiction, but not six poems.)
In addition to publication, the winner of each category will be awarded $100 and each runner-up will also be awarded $25.
Deadline: July 31
August Poetry Contests Canada 2023
- The Granum Foundation Prize 2023
The Granum Foundation Prize will be awarded annually to help U.S.-based writers complete substantive literary works—such as poetry books, essay or short story collections, novels, and memoirs—or to help launch these works.
Additionally, the Granum Foundation Translation Prize will be awarded to support the completion of a work translated into English by a U.S.-based writer.
Funding from both prizes can be used to provide a writer with the tools, time, and freedom to help ensure their success. For example, resources may be used to cover basic needs, equipment purchases, mentorship, or editing services.
Prize: One winner will receive $1,500 or more
Deadline: August 1
- Lucky Jefferson Poetry & Prose Summer Contest 2023
Lucky Jefferson is currently accepting submission for its inaugural poetry and prose competition. Interested writers are to read further on the guidelines for submissions.
20 finalists will receive publication in Lucky Jefferson's digital 365 Collection.
Two finalists from that group (one poetry and one prose) will each receive $100, publication, and a swag box.
Deadline: August 1
- Palette Poetry's Chapbook Prize 2023
Poetry chapbook manuscripts of all styles are accepted with no specific theme or aesthetic preference in request.
The winner will receive $2,000 and Summer 2024 publication, which includes a free, downloadable digital chapbook on their website, fifty physical author copies to share and sell, and the option to enable drop-shipping sales at Amazon, Bookshop.org, and Barnes & Noble, earning 50% royalties on your chapbook.
Additionally, thousands of readers, editors, and journals will receive chapbook access through our newsletter.
The winner will have creative agency over cover art/design, and also be offered the opportunity to work with Palette editors to revise the manuscript.
According to the Palette Poetry, there is an extended editorial process for any book that they believe in, so please feel welcome to submit promising work that may not be fully polished yet.
Deadline: August 20
- The Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing 2023: The Hungry Tide 30th Anniversary Special
This year, in celebration of Val Wood, they are back with a brand new theme and a brand new judging panel. Having previously been associated with Hull Libraries, the competition is now solely independent and all of its entries will be received by and judged directly by the competition’s namesake, Val Wood.
The winner of the competition will receive £100 and a signed copy of The Hungry Tide. The winning entry will be published on the website valwood.co.uk and shared via various social media outlets.
There will be two further prizes and the winners will receive signed copies of the Hungry Tide upon it’s re-release in October.
Deadline: Entries should be submitted by 5.00pm (BST) 31st August 2023
- The Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing
The Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing is currently open for submission. The entry is free. The 2023 Beauchamp Prize will be judged by Micki Meng.
Entries for the Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing should be a single piece of prose, written in English, not exceeding 1,500 words.
There will be one first place prize of $3,000 dollars, and two runners up, awarded $1,000 each. The winning essay will be featured in GC's printed journal, and the two runners-up will be considered for publication. For previous winners, see the sidebar.
Deadline: August 31st
- Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2023
Aesthetica is looking for the best new writing talent. The £5,000 international literary prize is open to poetry and short fiction entries on any theme, celebrating innovation in content and form.
Deadline: August 31
September Poetry Contests Canada 2023
- The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts 2023
Lunch Ticket is honored to host The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts. The Gabo Prize is funded by writers, translators, and Antioch University Los Angeles MFA Alumni Allie Marini and Jennifer McCharen, who launched the prize to support the work of peer translators.
The winner, selected by a guest judge, will receive $200, and the winning piece will be published alongside two semi-finalists in the upcoming issue of Lunch Ticket. The Gabo Prize is awarded twice each year.
Deadline: September 1
- The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts 2023
Lunch Ticket is honored to host The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts. The Gabo Prize is funded by writers, translators, and Antioch University Los Angeles MFA Alumni Allie Marini and Jennifer McCharen, who launched the prize to support the work of peer translators.
The winner, selected by a guest judge, will receive $200, and the winning piece will be published alongside two semi-finalists in the upcoming issue of Lunch Ticket. The Gabo Prize is awarded twice each year.
Deadline: September 1
- The Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction, Issue 24
Lunch Ticket is honored to serve as the host for the Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction 2023. The submission window for Lunch Ticket’s Issue 24 is August 1st to September 1st.
The winning submissions will be published in Lunch Ticket and the recipient will receive $250
- Frontier Poetry's Roots and Roads Prize 2023
Frontier Poetry is currently open for submission for its Root and Roads inaugural prize. Read further on the submission guidelines.
The submission is free for BIPOC writers. A total amount of $3000 will be awarded to the first place prize winner, $300 to second place, and $200 to third place.
About The Roots & Roads Prize
The organizers of the prize has the following to say about the prize:
"Not only are root systems vital for a tree to channel sustenance from the soil, but they are also communicators, connecting the plant to its environment and to other plants. Roads, too, are connectors, telling a story of movement and distances. This year, for our inaugural Roots & Roads Prize, Frontier Poetry invites you to imagine your poems as roots and roads, reaching both inward and outward.
We are in search of work that explores the tensions between these ideas, the relationships we have between origin and becoming, between our foundations and the possibilities that are sustained and/or troubled by them. We encourage you to interpret these words loosely and expansively, to let the poem take you where it wants. Bring us your ghosts, your maps, your homes, your alienations, your dreams of the future—lead us somewhere unexpected!"
Deadline: September 18
October Poetry Contests Canada 2023
- Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize 2023
$5,000 Fiction | $5,000 Nonfiction | $5,000 Poetry
Winners receive publication, promotion, and a cash prize.
Deadline: October 1
- The Peter Poetry Prize 2023
The Peter Porter Poetry Prize is one of Australia’s most lucrative and respected poetry awards. It honours the life and work of the great Australian poet Peter Porter (1929–2010), an honoured contributor to ABR for many years. All poets writing in English are eligible to enter.
First prize: AU$6,000
Four other shortlisted poets: AU$1,000
Deadline: October 9
- The National Poetry Competition 2023
The National Poetry Competition is now open for entries until 31 October 2023
Judges: Jane Draycott, Will Harris, Clare Pollard
Run by The Poetry Society since 1978, The National Poetry Competition is one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for an unpublished poem of up to 40 lines, open to all poets worldwide aged 18 or over
November Poetry Contests Canada 2023
December Poetry Contests Canada 2023
- The Sarah Maguire Poetry in Translation Prize 2023
The Sarah Maguire Poetry in Translation Prize is offered biennially for the best book of poetry in English translation by a living poet from beyond Europe, published anywhere in the world. £1,500 is awarded to the winning poet and £1,500 to the winning translator (or shared if there is more than one translator).
Deadline: December 31