2023 POETRY DAY CONTESTS

Open Only to PRA Members Who Are Arkansas Residents

  1. 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 Poem must be historically accurate, original, and unpublished.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 Mountains. Form: Any. Line limit: 60 – 100. Chair: Cathy Moran.

Open to PRA Members Only

  1. Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni Award: $50/$30/$20, HM $10/$10/$10. Subject: Mirrors. Form: Any. Line limit: 20/No more than 50 spaces per line. Chair: Larry and Desiree Witherspoon.
  2. 3 Little Lines: $30/$20/$10, Subject: Nature. Form: Haiku, Traditional 5/7/5 syllables. Line limit: 3. Chair: Fay Guinn.
  3. Rhymed Inspirational: $25/$15/$10, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Any rhymed. Line limit: 36. Chair: Roundtable Poets of Hot Springs.
  4. Banner Mountain Girl Award: $65/$35/$20, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: The homeplace. Form: Any. Line limit: 36. Chair: The family of Freeda Baker Nichols.
  5. 3 More Little Lines: $30/$20/$10, Subject: Human nature. Form: Senryu, 5/7/5 syllables. Line limit: 3. Chair: Fay Guinn.
  6. Couchwood Award: $40/$30/$15, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Letter to an influential poet. Form: Ode. Line limit: one page. Chair: Pat Laster.

Open to All Poets Who Have Never Won Money

  1. The Novice Award: $25/$15/$10, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Any. Line limit: 36. Chair: Lydia Cheatham.

Open to All Poets

  1. Opal Jane & Harry O’Neal Memorial Award: $50/$35/$25, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Any. Line limit: 32. Chair: Ben H. O’Neal.
  2. Opal Jane & Harry O’Neal Humor Award: $50/$35/$25, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Rhymed. Line limit: 24. Chair: Ben H. O’Neal.
  3. Sharp Award: $50/$30$20, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Free verse. Line limit: 40. Chair: Cathy Moran.
  4. Former Poets Remembrance: $35/$25/$15. Subject: So when I think about it ….. Form: any. Line limit: 36. Chair: Baxter County Poets Association.
  5. L.C. Bridges Memorial Award: $60/$30/$10. Subject: Christian poetry. Form: Free verse. Line limit: 24. Chair: Pat Bridges.
  6. Tom J. Smith Memorial: $50/$35/$15. Subject: The role of father. Form: Any. Line limit: 36. Chair: Donna Smith.
  7. Jane West Award: $25/$10/$5. Subject: Humor. Form: Free verse. Line limit: 30. Chair: Gail Denham.
  8. Humor Award: $60/$40/$25, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Humor. Form: Any. Line limit: 24. Chair: Dennis Patton.
  9. It Was A Clarifying Moment Award: $50$30/$20. Subject: Anything concerning a clarifying moment. Form: Free verse. Line limit: 30. Chair: Rita Goodgame.
  10. Nature’s Wonders: $30/$20/$10, HM $5/$5/5. Subject: Nature’s beauty. Form: Any. Line limit: 40. Chair: Two Rivers Poetry of Ft. Smith.
  11. Jim Barton Memorial Award: $35/$20/$10, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: In the pines. Form: Any. Line limit: 24. Chair: SAPOP.
  12. That’s Life Award: $50/$20/$10. Subject: Something “Red.” Form: Free verse. Line limit: 24. Chair: Laura Bridges.
  13. June Pruitt Memorial Award: $40/$25/$15, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Any. Form: Minute. Line limit: 12. Chair: Saline County Branch.
  14. Florence Gibbs Memorial Award: $25/$15/$10. Subject: Any. Form: Any. Line limit: 36. Chair: Anna Noack.
  15. Betty Heidelberger Memorial Award: $25/$15/$10. Subject: Any. Form: Any. Line limit: 36. Chair: Anna Noack.
  16. Miriam S. Strauss Memorial Award: $25/$15/$10. Subject: Across the State Line. (A poem on any of the six states that border Arkansas—Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma) Form: Any. Line limit: 10 – 40. Chair: Russell H. Strauss.
  17. The Golden Shovel Award : $25/$15/$10. Subject: Any. Form: Golden Shovel. Line limit: As required by Golden Shovel form. Cite original poem and author. (see https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/golden-shovel-poetic-form) Chair: Sandra Soli.
  18. Gin Creek Award: $25/$15/$10. Subject: Any. Form: Any. Parody of a well-known poem. May use “Apologies to …” as subtitle if needed to identify the work in question. Line limit: 36. Chair: Gin Creek Poets.
  19. Baker Nichols Memorial: $65/$35/$20, HM $5/$5/$5. Subject: Why I Love America. Form: Baker Sonnet. (Baker Sonnet format: iambic pentameter- aBbcaabcdcdBee). Line limit: 14. Chair: The family of Freeda Baker Nichols.
  20. The Hiking Poet’s Award: $25/$15/$10. Subject: Old Military Road. Form: Any. Line limit: 30. Chair: Lori Goetz.
  21. Grands Award: $25/$15/$10. Subject: Grandchildren or grandparents. Form: Any. Line limit: 40. Chair: Dr. Emory D. Jones
  22. Hazel J. Alexander Memorial: $50/$35/$15. Subject: Kindness. Form: Any. Line limit: 36. Chair: Donna Smith.

CONTEST RULES

  1. Mail all entries and fees in one envelope postmarked no earlier than July 1, 2023, and no later than August 15, 2023, to Christine Henderson, PO Box 9122, Searcy, AR 72145.
  2. 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.” (PRA only accepts US currency, checks, or money orders.)
  3. Submit one typed Times New Roman or similar font (12) original, and one copy for each contest entered with no illustrations or embellishments on entries. 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).
  4. Submit a separate typed page listing name, address, phone number and/or email address, and total number of contests entered.
  5. Titles and blank lines are not counted in line limits.
  6. All poems must be original, unpublished work of the poet, and not under consideration for publication. PRA defines publication as having an ISBN or ISSN.
  7. Submit only one poem in each contest. No poem may be entered in more than one contest.
  8. No entries will be returned. All manuscripts will be destroyed.
  9. Contest chairs are not necessarily judges.
  10. Three honorable mentions will be awarded without prizes unless otherwise specified.
  11. Entries not following rules will be disqualified.
  12. If a different website is not listed for the contest, the poetry form should be found at shadowpoetry.com