Emerge—Surface—Be: 2026–2027 Fellowship
The Poetry Project
DEADLINE: August 3, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: Emerge—Surface—Be is a natural extension of The Poetry Project’s program offerings. It formalizes the distinct yet unspoken pedagogical aspect of The Poetry Project’s programs while providing a unique opportunity to support, develop, and present emerging NYC-based poets.
The Poetry Project is grateful for the Jerome Foundation's generous support, which makes it possible to host five Mentor/Fellow pairings in 2026–2027. This year we are thrilled to partner with Mentors who are working across a broad range of modes—including poetry, but also crossing into nonfiction, criticism, and performance.
Mentors CAConrad, JJJJJerome Ellis, m.s. RedCherries, Christopher Rey Pérez, and Kim Rosenfield, will each select an emerging poet to work with. Over the course of nine months, Fellows will be given the opportunity to work one-on-one with their Mentor to develop their craft; explore publication and performance opportunities; and reflect on the professional and community-based dimensions of a writing life. Meetings between Fellows and Mentors can take place both in-person and virtually.
In addition to working with their Mentors, Fellows will:
have access to all Poetry Project events (free workshops, free readings, free publications)
be included in the Annual New Year’s Day Marathon Reading
read within The Poetry Project’s 2027 Spring Season as a culminating event, with introductions made by their Mentors
Poetry Project staff and Mentors will work with each Fellow to find other unique opportunities for deepening, sharing, and connecting their poetry to specific goals the Fellows might have. Through the program, Fellows will be invited to attend various gatherings with Poetry Project staff and other 2026–2027 Fellows and Mentors. Each Fellow will receive an award of $3,000. In adherence with US tax requirements, ESB Fellows will be issued an IRS 1099 Form.
CRITERIA: Ideal Fellows will have a project they are working on (or want to embark upon) and/or are working towards new ways of envisioning and bringing forth their writing practice and feel that they would benefit from guidance and support.
The most important criteria will be the demonstration of potential, as well as unique vision and voice, in the applicant’s work sample. We especially encourage work that takes aesthetic, conceptual, and political risks; unsettles disciplinary categories; and is committed to formal innovation. While applicants who have achieved some measure of local, regional, or national professional recognition will have these merits taken into account, we equally welcome—and encourage—applications from individuals whose work has not yet received broad visibility or many opportunities for public presentation.
Our definition of “emerging” ranges from writers who have at least two years of experience (and not more than 10) in creating and presenting original work; to writers who have local and perhaps regional recognition; and up to writers who are approaching national exposure, though not yet national recognition. As a top limit, an emerging writer has published no more than one full-length perfect bound book (or under contract to be published) and no more than three chapbooks (not including self-published work in chapbook form).
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
New York City resident at the time of application and have lived in NYC at least one year prior to the application deadline (please note: due to funding guidelines from the grant providers of the ESB Fellowship, we are unfortunately unable to accept submissions from applicants who do not meet this eligibility requirement)
Eighteen years of age and older;
Individuals with tenured faculty status (or the equivalent) are not eligible
Individuals who have received significant artistic recognition (MacArthur Fellowship, American Academy of Arts and Letters (fiction, novel, short story, poetry); Hodder Fellowship; National Book Critics Circle Award; Nobel Prize; PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature; Pulitzer Prize; Other significant awards defined as mid-career or established) are not eligible.
Individuals enrolled in a full-time, part-time, or low residency in any degree-granting education program are not eligible. However, individuals who enroll in degree-granting writing programs or take classes after the time of application submission are eligible for Fellowships providing they maintain an active, professional practice of creating and presenting work to the public.
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2027 + 2028 Derricotte/Eady Chapbook Prize
Cave Canem
DEADLINE: August 7, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: The Derricotte/Eady Prize, named after Cave Canem co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, spotlights chapbook-length manuscripts.
PRIZE:
The Winners of the 2027 and 2028 Derricotte/Eady Prize will receive:
A $1,000 monetary prize
Publication of their manuscript through Black Lawrence Press
10 copies of their chapbook
A residency at The Writer's Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach
A reading during the O, Miami Festival
ABOUT THE 2027 JUDGE: Tommye Blount was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He is the author of the chapbook What Are We Not For (Bull City Press) and the full-length collection of poetry Fantasia for the Man in Blue (Four Way Books)—which was afinalist for the National Book Award, the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, the Lambda Literary Award in Gay Poetry, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and others. A graduate from Warren Wilson College’s MFA Program for Writers, he is the recipient of commendations, fellowships, and grants from: the Amy Clampitt Residency, the Hawthornden Foundation, the Desert Rat Residency, the Whiting Foundation, the Aninstantia Foundation, Cave Canem, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and Kresge Arts.
ABOUT THE 2028 JUDGE: Jonterri Gadson is a Cave Canem fellow who has published three poetry books, including the full-length poetry collection Blues Triumphant (YesYes Books). She is a TV/Film writer/director and a former creative writing professor. She has previously written on Comedy Central's EVERYBODY STILL HATES CHRIS, Netflix’s THE UPSHAWS, HBO’S A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW, and more. She won Kevin Hart’s LOL Film Fellowship for a short she wrote/directed and premiered at the American Black Film Festival.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES:
One manuscript per poet is allowed
Include a title page with the title only and a table of contents. The author’s name should not appear on any pages within the uploaded document
The manuscript must be paginated, with a font size of 11 or 12, and 25-30 pages in length, inclusive of the title page and table of contents. A poem may be multiple pages, but no more than one poem per page is permitted
Manuscripts not adhering to submission guidelines will not be considered
Include a cover letter with a brief author’s bio and a list of acknowledgments of previously published poems. DO NOT include this information within the document of the manuscript
Post-submission revisions or corrections are not permitted
ELIGIBILITY: All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English by Black poets who are 21 years of age or older. Please note that this is not a first-book award. Cave Canem defines Black poets as any poet who identifies as a member of the African Diaspora.
Please note that in the event that an applicant has submitted the same manuscript to other book awards and received an award, they must disclose this information to Cave Canem.
EXCLUSIONS: Current or former students, colleagues, employees, family members, and close friends of the judge; current or former employees and members of the board of Cave Canem Foundation; O, Miami; and authors who have published a book or have a book under contract with Black Lawrence Press are ineligible.
cavecanem.submittable.com/submit
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2026-2027 Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler Residency
McSweeney’s x Friends of the San Francisco Public Library
DEADLINE: August 10, 2026
INFO: The Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler Residency, made possible through the generosity of Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler and presented in partnership with McSweeney's, is designed to nurture five emerging and established San Francisco–based writers by offering time, space, and a connection to the public to the San Francisco Public Library system, as well opportunities to engage the public through literary programming.
The year-long residency runs from September through August.
friendssfpl.org/residency.html
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THE SARABANDE OPEN: POETRY
Sarabande Books
SUBMISSION FEE: $30
DEADLINE: Extended to August 10, 2026 at 11:59pm
INFO: Each year during the month of July, Sarabande offers writers and translators the opportunity to get their manuscripts in front of our editors without the mediating factors of agents or judges. Providing direct access to writers is a core Sarabande value, rooted in our long-held belief that you, writers, know best what kind of work we're going to love.
We can’t wait to read your full-length manuscripts of poetry, fiction, hybrid work, literary nonfiction, and literature in translation!
ELIGIBILITY:
The Sarabande Open is open to manuscripts in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included.
It is highly recommended that those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find some of our recent titles below.This submission period is open to manuscripts in English. We recommended all those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Submission form must include a cover letter with a brief author bio and acknowledgements of past publications.
Manuscript must be anonymous.
Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt.
Poetry manuscripts should have a minimum length 48 pages.
Manuscript should be paginated consecutively with a table of contents.
Submission must be submitted electronically through Submittable, accompanied by a $30 submission fee
sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit
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CALL FOR WORK: CARIBBEAN YARD POETICS
ANMLY
DEADLINE: August 14, 2026
INFO: ANMLY is now open for our new folio exploring the yard as the site in which we understand modern Caribbean geography and social life.
We’re seeking previously-unpublished poetry, creative nonfiction, and art. Absolutely no AI.
This collection of work, featuring genres of poetry, art and creative non-fiction essays, will explore the yard as the site in which we understand modern Caribbean geography and social life. From the iconic “government yard in Trenchtown” of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” to the rural fields and estates passed down through generations, the yard is a site of memory, history, and the everyday poetics of survival and community.
The yard’s significance is rooted in the post-plantation society, where descendants of Indigenous, African and Indian peoples carved out new forms of life and autonomy. These spaces, whether in urban margins or inherited homes, are where personal and family histories are woven, where futures are imagined, and where the senses of a people are shaped. We have tidy yards, dirty yards, ghetto yards, tenement yards, barrack yards and grandmothers’ yards.
This folio is a deliberate disruption of two prevalent stereotypes: (1)The Caribbean as a “paradise” of “free island people” to reveal the complexity and nuance of lived experiences. (2) The “Caribbean writer” as a person’s region stands in for their entire identity.
Selected pieces will amplify unique and diverse voices within the region, celebrate their individuality while acknowledging the shared historical and cultural landscape of yards. The goal is to highlight the everyday struggles and joys that continue to shape post-emancipation societies.
Guest edited by Amilcar Sanatan with support by Folio Editor Shon Mapp
***Please note that this submission call is limited to Caribbean writers born and/or residing in the region.***
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THE OTHER FUTURES AWARD 2026
Futurepoem
DEADLINE: August 15, 2026 at 11:59pm EST
ENTRY FEE: $28. [They also offer need-based reduced fees of $18 and $9; please select the fee that is most appropriate for you. You can also choose to partially sponsor someone else’s submission for $35. A fee waiver is available for anyone who may need it — if the lowest fee represents a hardship for you, please email sydney@futurepoem.com with subject line: 2026 OFA Fee Waiver.]
INFO: The Other Futures Award is given annually to an innovative, adventurous full-length work that challenges conventions of genre and language, content and form. Send us writing that imagines new lived or literary possibilities, and questions established paradigms.
The winner will receive publication with Futurepoem, an advance of $1000, a standard royalty contract, and 25 author copies. We will announce our decision in late 2026. The winning book will be published in 2028.
PROCESS: All submissions are read by Futurepoem staff readers, who then recommend a limited group of manuscripts to the permanent editors. The winning manuscript is selected by Futurepoem's permanent editorial staff. Our process is identity-hidden, so please be sure that the author's name does not appear anywhere in the manuscript.
ELIGIBILITY: We welcome submissions by writers at any stage of their career. Manuscripts must be unpublished book-length works of prose, poetry, or multi-genre work. And though we are open to books with visuals, we have a limited capacity to support image-based projects. We publish poetry, first and foremost, and heavily image-based projects will be better served by a different publisher. Previously published poems or chapbooks may be included, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished. Writers who are not U.S. citizens are welcome to send work. Past or present students, colleagues, or close friends of Futurepoem editors are not eligible to submit.
TRANSLATIONS: We do not publish translations of works originally written in languages other than English. However, previously unpublished texts that engage bilingual or multilingual practices are welcome.
SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: We accept simultaneous submissions. Please notify Futurepoem as soon as possible if your book is accepted elsewhere.
MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: We accept multiple submissions from the same author. Each manuscript should be submitted separately including a separate entry fee.
FORMAT: Suggested length is 50 to 150 pages, though manuscripts may be slightly shorter or longer. The Other Futures Award is an anonymized contest. Please include a title page with title only, and a table of contents. The author’s name should NOT appear anywhere in the manuscript.
REVISIONS: While we are not able to accept revisions during the reading period, the winner will be able to revise their manuscript before publication.
futurepoem.submittable.com/submit
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
FIRE!!
DEADLINE: August 15, 2026
INFO:
One Hundred Years:
Still, the Fire Burns.
In 1926, Wallace Thurman, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Aaron Douglas lit a match called FIRE!!, a journal by younger Black artists who refused to wait for permission.
It ran one issue. It changed everything. Now, we strike the match, one century later.
FIRE!!! returns to publish twenty-one new pieces, paid, in the spirit of the original. There are seats at this table for emerging African American writers, poets, photographers, makers, and artists.
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
African American artists, in the tradition of the original FIRE!!.
A.K.A., the direct descendants of African people enslaved in the United States.Ages 18 to 35.
Your submitted work must be original and previously unpublished.
It cannot have appeared in any magazine, journal, book, newspaper, or exhibition.One piece per submission — but you may enter more than one work, each submitted separately.
WHAT WE'RE PUBLISHING. WHAT WE PAY.
Seven pieces in each of three sections: Politics, Culture, and Identity.
Rates are per accepted piece, paid plainly and proudly.
RATES PER ACCEPTED PIECE, PER SECTION:
Short Story - $500
Essay - $600
Photography or Photo Essay - $500
Art Piece - $500
Conversation, Roundtable, or Interview - $600
Poem - $400
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2026 Jubi Arriola-Headley South Florida Book Prize
O, Miami
DEADLINE: August 15, 2026
INFO: O, Miami is accepting submissions for the first annual Jubi Arriola-Headley South Florida Book Prize. Our new book prize supports the publication of an outstanding full-length manuscript by a poet with strong ties to South Florida. The prize honors the memory of beloved poet and community member Jubi Arriola-Headley (1969-2025) and seeks to strengthen and recognize the immense talent and potential of the South Florida writing community.
PRIZE: The winning poet will receive a $1000 honorarium as well as 10 contributor copies and an author's discount for additional copies.
ELIGIBILITY:
Open to emerging and established poets regardless of publication history
Open to South Florida residents, former residents, and others with enduring ties to the region, defined as Palm Beach County, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Monroe County
Current and former employees and board members of O, Miami are not eligible to submit
SUBMISSION MATERIALS:
1 full-length poetry manuscript between 48 and 100 single-spaced pages
Multiple poems must not appear on one page
Title page, table of contents and name of the submitting poet on title page only
Open to manuscripts written in the major languages of Miami, not including works in translation
Individual poems may have appeared in other journals or anthologies, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished
1 statement explaining poet’s relationship to South Florida
1 ZipOde!
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2026 literary arts fund grants
Literary Arts Fund
DEADLINE: August 17, 2026
INFO: The Literary Arts Fund will provide at least $50 million in support of the nonprofit literary arts field over the next five years, concluding in 2031.
With a short timeline, the fund’s grantmaking has a strategic focus on the areas of the literary arts ecosystem where it determined it could have the greatest impact—that is: supporting independent U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits whose primary mission is directly serving adult writers of creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and hybrid works in making their artistic work and sharing it with readers. Please review the fund’s full eligibility requirements to learn more.
The Literary Arts Fund will annually hold open calls for two opportunities: innovation project grants and general operating grants.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
To be eligible to apply to the Literary Arts Fund’s 2026 grants, an interested applicant must be an independent nonprofit (or fiscally sponsored) literary arts organization, press, or publication based in the U.S. (in terms of location and activities) whose primary mission directly supports adult creative writers in making artistic work and sharing it with readers in at least one of the following ways:
Present them at public events such as festivals, readings, open mics, spoken word performances, lectures, or conversations;
Publish their work in print or digital publications such as books, chapbooks, literary journals, magazines, websites, or zines;
Provide them with writing residencies, retreats, mentorships, or workshops;
Build their readership and following through digital or print feature articles, interviews, book reviews, online archives, or podcasts; or,
Recognize their artistic achievement through awards, fellowships, or prizes.
Additionally, to be eligible to apply, a literary arts nonprofit must:
Be post-pilot as demonstrated by having been established for three years or more based on the date of nonprofit incorporation at the time of application. If the applicant is fiscally sponsored, this would be demonstrated by the contract date between the fiscal sponsor(s) and applicant;
Have leadership stability as demonstrated by a current executive director who has led the nonprofit through at least one full year of operations, i.e., has served in their role for twelve consecutive months or more at the time of application; and
Have financial stability as demonstrated by an annual operating budget of at least $50,000, not including in-kind/non-cash contributions. For fiscally sponsored organizations and publishers: the organization or publisher, not the fiscal sponsor, must meet this requirement.
The Literary Arts Fund’s grantmaking strategy does not include the following:
Dramatic arts nonprofits whose primary mission is focused on screenwriters and playwrights.
Storytelling nonprofits with a primary mission of supporting this oral art form.
Arts therapy nonprofits that focus on writing for its therapeutic purposes.
Nonprofits, publishers, initiatives, and projects that are a department or division of, or are fiscally sponsored by, a college or university.
Nonprofits whose primary mission is to present, publish, or support young writers.
Arts education nonprofits that focus on increasing K-12 students’ access to the arts and learning through the arts, in or out of school.
Literacy nonprofits that focus on developing or strengthening youth or adult reading and writing skills and abilities.
Academic, research, school, and public libraries.
Trade and service organizations whose mission is focused primarily on serving other nonprofits.
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CALL FOR POEMS: ‘WOMEN’S VOICES OF RESISTANCE
Rose Cervantes x Courtney Ross
DEADLINE: August 17, 2026
INFO: Our overall goal is to amplify diverse voices to continue the movement towards collective resistance, freedom, and liberation.
Women's Voices of Resistance is a community-led project and poetry anthology centering the intersections women face as we build the world we dream about while surviving the one we currently inhabit. We are seeking more voices and requesting poets far and wide to apply.
This anthology is intended for people who have experienced gender-based oppression, including cis women, trans women, and others impacted by misogyny.
The future we dream of is paved with love, creativity, and intersectionality.
SUBMISSION PROMPTS:
Please make sure your poems are in conversation with at least one of the prompts below.
What does resistance look like in your daily life / body / community?
What is your ideal world? How do you intend to make that happen?
How do you see women working together to make the world a better place?
How does your anger / grief / joy / move you towards change?
What are you no longer willing to accept?
What do you want our future generations to know?
HOW TO SUBMIT:
Be a poet that identifies as a woman or someone who has experienced gender-based oppression
Have poems connected to one of our resistance prompts
Send up to five poems to badasspoets@proton.me
instagram.com/p/DbEoSjygaZf/?img_index=4
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Open Call: Development Lab
Sing Lit Station |📍Singapore
DEADLINE: August 23, 2026 by 11:59pm (Singapore Time)
INFO: A single poem could have multiple lives.
Development Lab invites spoken word artists to explore the next life of their work with a panel of directors, dramaturgs, producers and interdisciplinary practitioners.
We’re seeking three spoken word artists developing projects that push beyond the page. Whether you’re imagining a theatre production, a multimedia installation, a movement-based performance or another hybrid form, this is an opportunity to test your ideas in a supportive development environment.
Your submission can be at any stage—from an early concept to an existing work-in-progress or a project you’re ready to take to the next level.
The three selected artists will be invited to participate in a closed 35 min project development session as part of a new professional development initiative for spoken word artists taking place in September 2026. They will receive focused feedback from our dedicated panel Edith Podesta, Lucas Ho and Mysara Aljaru, to help refine their ideas, strengthen their artistic vision and identify the next steps for their project.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Spoken word and performance poets with a poetry project they want to develop into an interdisciplinary work.
Artists interested in exploring theatre, movement, music, film, installation, live art or other hybrid forms rooted in spoken word.
TO APPLY, PLEASE SUBMIT:
A proposal outlining your project idea (1 page, font size 12, include visuals if you like)
A sample of 3-5 poems from the project you wish to develop (kindly provide English translations if necessary)
Clarity on where the project is currently in its development
Questions you have for the panel reviewing your proposal
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRaKwhT35-B8WrjrnFDrlh7YLzJWMeeRMyLbn-0Mw7FIZluw/viewform
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call for submissions: Issue 1 (Spring)
Plum & Clove
DEADLINE: August 25, 2026 (or once their submission cap)
INFO: Plum & Clove, a home for exceptional and previously unpublished poetry, is seeking work for its inauguaral issue.
GUIDELINES:
We are open to all forms and themes, as long as your writing is raw, memorable, and original.
Submissions for Issue 1 are strictly capped at 150 entries. We recommend submitting early if you wish to secure your spot.
You may submit up to 2 poems in a single document.
You may submit only once for Issue 1. We want to see your best and most polished work.
Each poem must have a maximum of 40 lines.
Poems must be previously unpublished. This does not include poems that have featured on your personal socials.
Upload your submission as a single PDF (.pdf) or Word Document (.doc or .docx).
Use Times New Roman font and a 12-point size.
Do not include your name, email, bio or any other identifying information anywhere in your uploaded document. We read submissions blind to ensure all work is judged purely on its craft.
No AI submissions will be considered. This is a space for authentic human art.
Submissions that do not meet these guidelines will be declined unread.
POLICIES:
Simultaneous submissions are encouraged; however, please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
We claim First Serial Rights to feature your poetry digitally. Upon publication, all creative rights immediately revert to you. You retain total ownership of your work.
We do not tolerate hate speech, racism, homophobia, transphobia or misogyny.
plumandclovejournal.substack.com/p/submit-to-issue-1-spring
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CHAPBOOK CONTEST
Nine Syllables Press
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026
INFO: Nine Syllables Press is delighted to announce our fourth annual chapbook contest. Nicole Sealey will be the final judge for 2026. The winner will be awarded $500 and author’s copies. The chapbook will be published within a year. Winners will be announced by February, 2026.
Submissions are open June 1-August 31, 2025, using our Submittable. There is a $10 submission fee. If the fee is prohibitive for you to submit, please email 9syllablespress (a) smith.edu and ask for a fee waiver.
Please read the guidelines below carefully before sending us your work.
WHO CAN SUBMIT?
Trans and nonbinary poets of all genders, and cis women poets can submit their chapbook to the Nine Syllables Press chapbook contest. We especially encourage trans/LGBTQIA+ poets and BIPOC poets to submit their work. Poets can have previously published collections of poetry, but the manuscript you submit cannot have been previously published. Individual poems from the collection may have been published elsewhere. Poets outside the US are also welcome to submit.
9SP complies with the CLMP Code of Ethics in the administration of this contest. The judge will select a manuscript in an anonymous review process and will not award the prize to any writer whose personal relationship to the judge poses a conflict of interest. Current students, faculty, and staff at Smith College are not eligible to submit, and those with a personal relationship with the final judge are not eligible to submit.
Simultaneous submissions are allowed, please withdraw your work if it is accepted elsewhere.
WHAT TO SUBMIT?
Send us an original, unpublished poetry collection of 20-40 pages. Please note, we are not able to consider collections which include images such as photographs, collage, or other visual media.
HOW TO FORMAT IT?
Do NOT include your name, acknowledgements, or any identifying details (address, social media handles, etc) anywhere in your manuscript. If your name appears in a poem, such as a ghazal, please redact it with a [ ].
Please use a standard typeface such as Times New Roman or Garamond, size 12.
Include a table of contents at the beginning. This does not count towards your page count.
Please include page numbers on all pages.
Please note, we are not able to consider collections which include images such as photographs, collage, or other visual media.
AI GENERATED WORK POLICY:
We do not accept manuscripts which have been generated using AI (ChatGPT or similar software). Do not submit AI-generated work.
What if my manuscript is 19 pages long? Or 42?
20-40 pages is a guideline, but this is a chapbook contest, not a full-length or a micro. We will consider manuscripts close to 20-40 pages, a few pages more or less will not disqualify you.
WHO READS THE MANUSCRIPTS?
Students at Smith College who are enrolled in the courses The Chapbook in Practice: Design and/or The Chapbook in Practice: Submissions & Publishing are involved in Nine Syllables Press, participate in reading submissions anonymously, learning how to design the interior and exterior of chapbooks, and creating marketing for our books. The final selections from the students are passed on to the final judge, who chooses the winner.
We are very excited about this opportunity for students to engage in the hands-on experience of running a small press.
ninesyllablespress.com/contest
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Call for submissions
Spoken Black Girl Magazine
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026
SUBMISSION FEE: $0
INFO: Spoken Black Girl Magazine welcomes submissions exploring mental health, wellness, healing, and the lived experiences of Black women, girls, and femmes. Issue 7 is a general issue that calls back to our founding mission of mental health awareness. We are particularly interested in work that introduces new perspectives on healing, examines ancestral wisdom through a contemporary lens, and uplifts the voices of Black women writers, artists, and storytellers.
We welcome interviews and articles featuring artists and writers, personal essays, poetry, fiction, photography, and visual art.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
For poetry, please submit 3-6 pieces.
3000 words or less for essays, articles, and fiction.
Visual artists & photographers may submit 3-6 pieces in a single PDF.
Original, unpublished work only
HONORARIUM: Accepted submissions will receive a $25 honorarium.
We appreciate your help to keep Spoken Black Girl going. Please donate to our Contributor Fund to help support our ecosystem of Black Women Writers.
NO AI POLICY: Spoken Black Girl does not accept work generated by AI.
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2026-2027 writers Residency Program
Collections of Transience
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026 at 11:59pm PT
INFO: Collections of Transience is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that elevates writers and creatives that have been historically excluded from the dominant culture, especially creatives of color.
For those who exist in the margins, we are often asked to commodify our identity to justify our existence in creative spaces. Instead, we ask, what it means to not lay aside our identity, but to go beyond it, firmly rooted in who we are to define a new space, voice, and art.
We are an organization of creatives exploring what it means when our identity is not seen as a limitation, but the root for a more expansive vision of creation.
The COT Writers Residency Program is a year-long virtual residency offered to writers aged 18-30, starting October 2026 and ending May 2027. As part of Collections of Transience, Writers in Residence are given resources to develop their creative skills and community.
The residency program is a single, multi-genre cohort. The winter session will be devoted to poetry workshops, and the spring session will be devoted to fiction workshops.
BENEFITS:
A 1-year Writer Residency Program
A regular publishing platform for writers & artists
A small community of peers in which to engage in regular events with
A team invested in your growth and development
Access to all writing/creative workshops
WRITERS IN RESIDENCE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOLLOWING:
Committing to the year-long Writers Residency Program
Attending bi-monthly workshops with your Residency Mentor*
Participate in resident features
Contributing to a program-wide Chapbook Project
Lead your own final capstone work to be presented to the whole cohort
QUALITIES WE LOOK FOR: A passion for creative exploration, an interest in uplifting and connecting to fellow creatives, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
COST: Free! This is the fourth year of our program, and we still plan to continue to offer it for no cost to our residents.
Help us continue to keep the program free by donating or sharing our link here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/collections-of-transience
You will be notified of application decisions by mid-September.
MENTORS: This year's residency mentors are Chris Fong Chew (Poetry) and Grace Zhu (Fiction).
collectionsoftransience.org/residency-program-information
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: creative nonfiction, poetry, or cover arT
Yellow Arrow Publishing
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026
INFO: Yellow Arrow Publishing is excited to announce that submissions for our next issue of Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. XI, No. 2 (fall 2026), guest edited by Gwen Van Velsor and Annie Marhefka, are open on the theme:
VIGIL
(noun)
: the act of keeping awake at times when sleep is customary
: an event or a period of time when a person or group stays in a place and quietly waits, prays, etc., especially at night
: a watch formerly kept on the night before a religious feast with prayer or other devotions
The issue will explore those moments in life, in the creative process or otherwise, when you let go of the outcome. Creative practices require a certain letting go, whether it be in the act of writing or in the moment when the writing is shared with others. We don’t know where our creativity will lead, and we don’t know what will become of it.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Accepted submissions include creative nonfiction and poetry by authors identifying as women (cover art guidelines follow below).
Submissions must relate to the theme of VIGIL, as interpreted by the author, using provided guiding questions (these will change for each theme and will be available during open submissions):
In what ways have you embraced uncertainty in life or in your writing process?
What emotions are stirred up when you contemplate releasing control?
Envision a process of letting go of a person, a process, or a thing—what visual images come to mind?
Creative nonfiction (1 submission per author per issue) must be between 100 and 2,000 words. Poetry (up to 2 poems per author per issue, grouped into a single document) may be any length.
Submissions do not need to be in English but must include an English translation.
No previously published work will be accepted at this time—this includes all printed and online material; simultaneous submissions are okay but please let us know when you send in your submission(s) and if a submission is published elsewhere in the interim, email submissions@yellowarrowpublishing.com immediately.
yellowarrowpublishing.com/submissions
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storyknife writers retreat
Storyknife |📍Homer, AK
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026
APPLICATION FEE: $45.00
INFO: Women’s stories are vital and important. Currently, those stories whether expressed in poems, plays, novels, essays, or memoirs are not published, reviewed, or promoted as often as the work of men. Storyknife provides women with the time and space to explore their craft without distraction. Every aspect of a residency at Storyknife is steeped in a profound generosity of spirit so that each writer knows she and her work are valuable. Storyknife residents carry away both this affirmation and a living community of women writers to assist their valuable work wherever they go.
Residencies at Storyknife in Homer, Alaska, are either for two or four weeks. Resident’s food and lodging is covered during the period of their residency, but travel to and from Homer, Alaska, is the responsibility of the resident. Residents stay in individual cabins & dine at the main house. An on-staff chef is responsible for food preparation.
Four week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 28th, April through October. Two week residencies are held in April, June, and August and begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 14th OR begin on the 15th and end on the 28th.
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ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants must:
Be woman-identified
Be 21 years of age or older
Apply as an individual artist, not a collaborative group or team
Writers who have been in residency for a minimum of two-weeks at Storyknife must wait five years before they can re-apply for another residency.
Please note that for the 2027 residency season, the Board of Directors of Storyknife strongly suggests that all residents must be vaccinated and appropriately boosted against COVID-19.
You will provide a work sample and answer four questions (each answer 300 words or fewer).
How have you sought to educate yourself as a writer? (Formal education not a prerequisite, but evidence of curiosity and learning in your applicable genre is.)
What is your experience with publishing your work? (Publishing is not a prerequisite but is considered a goal for writers who attend Storyknife.)
What project will you pursue while in residency? (Please note that you will be free to work on whatever writing you wish during residency. We simply are interested in what you think you’ll be pursuing.)
Why would a writing residency benefit you at this time especially?
WRITING SAMPLE REQUIREMENTS:
Writing samples should reflect work completed within the last two years. All writing samples must be uploaded through Submittable. Written work samples will be uploaded directly within the application.
Applicants can submit published or unpublished writing samples.
All writing samples must be combined into one PDF file.
A writing sample not to exceed 10 pages (prose: double-spaced 12 point font, poetry: single-spaced 12 point font acceptable). Prose includes screenplays and stage plays which also must conform to the 10 page limit.
This is an anonymous jurying process. Any writing samples with identifying material will be disqualified (including in the file name). Do not include your last name, address, or publication credits in your writing sample (including the file name). This only refers to the writing sample, not the answers to the questions.
TRAVEL FUNDS: In 2027, there will be multiple opportunities for travel cost stipends. Those that want to be considered for travel funds will indicate so on their applications.
QUESTIONS? If you have questions regarding your eligibility or preparing your application, contact executive director, Erin Hollowell, at ehollowell@storyknife.org.
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2027 Academy of American Poets First Book Award
The Academy of American Poets
DEADLINE: September 1, 2026
INFO: The Academy of American Poets First Book Award is a $5,000 first-book publication prize. The winning manuscript, chosen by an acclaimed poet, is published by Graywolf Press, an award-winning independent publisher committed to the discovery and energetic publication of contemporary American and international literature.
The winner also receives distribution of their winning book to thousands of Academy of American Poets members, making it one of the most widely-distributed poetry books that year; inclusion and promotion in American Poets magazine, the Academy’s newsletter, and Poets.org, among other opportunities.
This award was established in 1975 to encourage the work of emerging poets and to enable the publication of a poet’s first book. It is currently made possible by financial support from the members of the Academy of American Poets. From 1975–2020, the award was titled in tribute to Walt Whitman. Please see a list of First Book Award and Walt Whitman Award winners below.
JUDGE: The judge for the 2027 First Book Award is John Keene.
poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes/first-book-award
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2026 POETRY CONTEST
just femme + dandy
DEADLINE: September 1, 2026
READING FEE: $5
INFO: just femme + dandy is open for submissions, and we’re thrilled to welcome 2020 National Book Award Finalist Tommye Blount as the judge for just femme + dandy’s inaugural contest.
Tommye Blount will select one winner to receive a $100 prize and publication in just femme + dandy’s POCKET SQUARE this fall, our physical album of queer fashion journalism and art, featuring a 7” vinyl from a queer indie musician. The winning poem will be printed as a small broadside as part of POCKET SQUARE. Second and third place receive a $50 prize and publication online. All entrants will be considered for publication.
This year’s theme is: POCKETS.
This call for submissions takes its name from our publishing project as well as its own inspiration, a square of fabric folded in a jacket’s breast pocket, starting in the 19th century. Pockets first emerged in clothing as purses or pouches attached to the outside of people’s garments. By the 16th century, sewn-in pockets appeared in menswear while women were given no choice but to continue using pouches for at least another two centuries.
Beyond the gender disparity of who gets to have pockets, they immediately became distrusted as a hidden danger, given that pistols were the first objects men stowed away in them. As fashion historian Hannah Carlson writes, “Once the wearer places something inside their pocket, that thing disappears, enfolded and seemingly absorbed into uncertain depths.” Not only are pockets a source of intrigue for what they are able to hide and covet, but queer people also used them in order to signal to one another, such as the historical Hanky Code, a system of color-coded handkerchiefs tucked into a back pocket to identify the wearer’s desires, and it’s long been believed since the early twentieth century era of the Hays Code that lesbians (aka Marlene Dietrich) would reveal themselves by placing a single hand in their pocket.
We’re interested in reading poems about pockets, and what one stores in them, in all of their forms and meanings. Tell us about how long you searched for a dress with pockets, or the most unexpected gift you forgot you’d left in your favorite suit jacket. What secrets or joys would you hide in them? Recount the first time you learned how to sew one with your family’s sewing machine, or the love notes you tucked into your trapper keeper from your first crush.
Each submission may contain no more than five poems and no more than ten pages.
Simultaneous submissions are permitted as long as you notify us if your poem is accepted elsewhere, but the fee is nonrefundable.
ABOUT THE JUDGE: Tommye Blount was born and raised in Detroit. He holds an MFA from Warren Wilson College and is the author of Fantasia for the Man in Blue (Four Way Books, 2020), a finalist for the National Book Award, and the chapbook What Are We Not For (Bull City Press, 2016). Blount is the recipient of scholarships and fellowships from Kresge Arts in Detroit and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. In 2023, he received a Whiting Award in Poetry. A Cave Canem Fellow, Blount lives in Novi, Michigan.
Any questions or inquiries can be sent to addie@justfemmeanddandy.com.
justfemmeanddandy.subfolios.com/submit/724/inaugural-poetry-contest