Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize

The Academy of American Poets is accepting applications for the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, which was established in 1975 in honor of poet, novelist, essayist, and political activist Lenore Marshall. Marshall was the author of three novels, three books of poetry, a collection of short stories, and selections from her notebooks. Her work appeared in such distinguished literary magazines as The New Yorker, Saturday Review, and Partisan Review. In 1956 she helped found the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy, the citizens’ organization that lobbied successfully for passage of the 1963 partial nuclear test ban treaty.

In her honor, a prize of $25,000 will be awarded to an outstanding book of poetry published in the United States in the previous calendar year. In addition, the winner will receive an inclusive ten-day residency at Glen Hollow in Naples, New York, as well as distribution of the winning book to hundreds of Academy of American Poets members.

Requirements

Eligible entries include any original book of poetry, written in English and published in the United States during 2020, in a standard edition (48 pages or more) by a living poet. Self-published books are not eligible. Translations and new editions of previously published books are not eligible.

Any poet who meets one of the below criteria on the date of the application deadline, in any given year, is eligible:

• U.S. Citizen
• resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, or
• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States.

Please note: By law the Academy of American Poets must report cash prizes awarded to individuals to the Internal Revenue Service. If individuals have a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), the individual will receive a 1099. If the individual does not have an SSN or ITIN, the individual will receive a 1042 and could be subject to a withholding of a percentage of the cash prize.

• Books must be submitted in the year after their publication, which means that books published in 2021 may not be submitted for consideration until 2022.
• The 2021 contest is open to any book of original poetry, in English, published in the United States during 2020 in a standard edition (48 pages or more) by a living poet.
• Self-published books are not eligible.
• Translations and new editions of previously published books are not eligible.
• Publishers may submit as many titles as they wish.
• To submit an entry, publishers must upload a PDF copy to Submittable. A $75 entry fee and completed entry form via Submittable signifying the publisher’s acceptance of these guidelines is required for each title submitted. The winner will be announced in September 2021.
• The Academy of American Poets agrees to purchase approximately two hundred copies of the winning book for distribution to its members. The Academy may purchase additional copies of the book for its own use, but not for resale. No royalties will be paid to the author on the copies purchased by the Academy. The publisher agrees to sell to the Academy of American Poets the number of copies requested at a standard paper, printing, and binding, or at-cost discount.
• The decisions of the Academy of American Poets as to eligibility are final. Books will not be returned.

Application Instructions

See the Academy of American Poets website for complete program guidelines and application instructions.

Apply here.