Open to Arkansas Residents Only
- Sybil Nash Abrams Award: $1,000/$400/$250. Poet is eligible for first prize once every five years. Poem must be historically accurate, original and unpublished. Enclose bibliography (not included in line count) on a separate page. First place winner ineligible to enter contest for four years thereafter. Subject: Arkansas towns. Form: Any. Line limit: 60 – 100. Chair: Committee of winners from the past four years.
Open to PRA Members Only
- Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni Award: $50/$30/$20, HM $10/$10/$10. Subject: Pottery. Form: Any. Line limit: 20. Chair: Larry Witherspoon.
- “3 Little Lines”: $30/$25/$15, HM $10/$10/$10. Subject: Human nature. Form: Senryu – 17 syllables or less; does not have to be 5/7/5; unrhymed; present tense; references some aspect of human nature or emotions. Line limit: 3. Chair: Fay Guinn.
- Illustrated Poetry Award: $35/$20/$15, $10/$10/$10. Subject: Any. Form: Any. Line limit: Poem and art must fit on one side of 8 ½ x 11 white or colored copy paper or construction paper. Original, unpublished poem. No pasted pieces or computer-generated art. Watercolor, pastels, crayons, ink, pencil, chalk. Must use color. (Duplicate copy may be a photo-copy.) Chair: Pat Laster.
- Rhymed Inspirational: $25/$15/$10, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Any rhymed. Line limit: 36. Chair: Roundtable Poets of Hot Springs.
- Barbara Dail Memorial Award: $25/$15/$10. Subject: Any. Form: Any. Line limit: 40. Chair: Debra and Elizabeth Dail.
- Rhymed Poetry Award: $25/$15/$10, HM Books. Subject: Any. Form: Sonnet (Identify kind). Line limit: 14. Chair: Barbara Longstreth Mulkey.
Open to All Poets
- Opal Jane & Harry O’Neal Memorial Award: $50/$35/$25, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Sports. Form: Free verse. Line limit: 32. Chair: Ben H. O’Neal III.
- Opal Jane & Harry O’Neal Humor Award: $50/$35/$25, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Surprise. Form: Rhymed. Line limit: 32. Chair: Ben H. O’Neal III.
- Sharp Award: $50/$30/$20, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Free verse. Line limit: 38. Chair: Cathy Moran.
- River Market Poets: $50/$30/$20. Subject: Farmers’ Market. Form: Free verse. Line limit: 20. Chair: River Market Poets.
- L.C. & Pat Bridges Award: $50/$20/$10. Subject: Christian poetry. Form: Free verse. Line limit: 24. Chair: L.C. and Pat Bridges.
- Dr. Seuss Memorial Award: $50/$30/$20. Subject: Anything for kids; playful, visual, positive for kids. Form: Any rhymed. Line limit: 24. Chair: Donna Smith.
- “It’s in the Genes”: $50/$30/$20, HM $15/$10/$5. Subject: Genetic Influence (humorous or serious). Form: Free verse. Line limit: 30. Chair: Rita Goodgame.
- Humor Award: $50/$30/$20, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Any. Line limit: 28. Chair: Dennis Patton.
- Baker Nichols Award: $30/$20/$10. Subject: America. Form: Any. Line limit: 36. Chair: Freeda Baker Nichols.
- Let’s Humor Dennis Award: $30/$15/$10. Subject: Any – make it funny. Form: Any. Line limit: 35. Chair: Barbara Blanks.
- Two Rivers’ Poets of Fort Smith: $25/$15/$10, HM $5/$5. Subject: Nature’s beauty. Form: Any. Line limit: 40. Chair: Mary and Kitty Sangster.
- Poets of the Pines Award: $25/$15/$10, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Hexaduad. Syllables 2-2-6-6-8-8-4-4-6-6-4-4. Line limit: 12. Chair: SAPOP.
- That’s Life Award: $25/$15/$10. Subject: A public figure who died in 2019. Form: Free verse. Line limit: 32. Chair: Laura Bridges.
- Mike Pafundi Memorial Award: $25/$15/$10, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Rhymed quatrain. Line limit: 20. Chair: Saline County Poets.
- Florence Gibbs Memorial Award: $25/$15/$10. Subject: Any. Form: Any. Line limit: 36. Chair: Anna Noack.
- Betty Heidelberger Memorial Award: $25/$15/$10. Subject: Any. Form: Any. Line limit: 36. Chair: Anna Noack.
- Miriam S. Strauss Memorial Award: $25/$10/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Narrative. Line limit: 10 – 40. Chair: Russell H. Strauss.
- Frank Moran Memorial Award: $25/$15/$10, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Brothers. Form: Free verse. Line limit: 36. Chair: Catherine Parker
- Sonnet Award: $25/$15/$10. Subject: Any. Form: Any sonnet form (modern or traditional). Line limit: As required by sonnet form. Chair: Sandra Soli.
CONTEST RULES
- Mail all entries and fees in one envelope postmarked by August 15, 2020 to Marie Allison, 165 St. Andrews, Hot Springs AR 71913.
- Non-members may enter all contests for which they are eligible for $15; members may enter for $10. Make check or money order payable to “PRA.”
- Submit one typed or Times New Roman (12) original, and one copy for each contest entered with no illustrations or embellishments on entries (except for requirements of Contest #4). Type number and name of award in upper left corner of both copies. On duplicate only, place name and address in upper right corner (labels accepted).
- All poems must be original, unpublished work of the poet, and not under consideration for publication. PRA defines publication as having an ISBN #.
- Submit only one poem in each contest. No poem may be entered in more than one contest.
- No entries will be returned. All manuscripts will be destroyed.
- Contest chairs are not necessarily judges.
- Three honorable mentions will be awarded without prizes unless otherwise specified. Entries not following rules will be disqualified.