www.poetrycenter.org/node/30

Judge: Brenda Hillman
Postmark deadline: Friday, January 30, 2009

First prize: $1,500; Second prize: $500; third prize, $250; five finalists receive $50

The Poetry Center invites regional poets to submit their unpublished work for consideration in the 15th Annual Juried Reading. Eight finalists will have their poetry published in a chapbook by Dancing Girl Press as well as on the Poetry Center website, and all eight poets will be invited to read at an award ceremony at the Harold Washington Library Center in the spring.

The Juried Reading is open to all poets residing in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Poets may be unpublished or have published no more than one full-length book of poetry. All submissions are blind; the jury and the judge will have no access to identifying information about the submitting poets.

To submit, mail:

1. A cover sheet including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address and titles of poems submitted.

2. Four copies of a packet, independently stapled, of no more than five single-sided, typed pages of unpublished poetry. There is no restriction on the number of poems per page, but the packet should not exceed five pages. Your name should not appear on any of the pages containing poems.

3. $15 jury fee, check or money order made payable to “The Poetry Center.” The contest is f
ree for Poetry Center members. Poems will be accepted by US mail only.

Send poems to: 15th Annual Juried Reading, The Poetry Center of Chicago, 37 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603.

E-mail and fax submissions will not be accepted. No phone calls please.