• Home
  • Membership
  • Calendar
  • Contests
  • Contact
  • Support PSC
  • Historian Corner
  • Board
  • Mission
  • More
    • Home
    • Membership
    • Calendar
    • Contests
    • Contact
    • Support PSC
    • Historian Corner
    • Board
    • Mission
  • Home
  • Membership
  • Calendar
  • Contests
  • Contact
  • Support PSC
  • Historian Corner
  • Board
  • Mission

Poetry Society of Colorado ~ Contest INFORMATION

We believe that contests help foster artistic growth.
The Poetry Society of Colorado hosts a variety of member-only and open poetry contests throughout the year. 

We value all poets and therefore encourage members and non-members alike to share their work!  Joining a contest can provide you feedback about your poetry and offer the ability to have winning poems listed, by the author and title, on our page.

Please read all of the information below to learn about where you can find our contests listed, what types of contests are available, rules for submission and how to make a payment to enter your poem(s) in one of the contests.  

Former contests winners are also listed at the bottom of the page.

List of contests ~ calendar EVENTS

To view a list of all upcoming contests and workshops provided, please follow the link to our calendar page that shows all upcoming Poetry Society events.

CALENDAR EVENTS PAGE

Member-Only contests

Only members of PSC may submit to Member-Only Contests, which are held in September, November, January and March. Best of all First, Second, and Third Place winners of the Members-Only Contests of the year are eligible for the Daisie E. Robinson Sweepstakes which is announced each June.


Email submissions to:
jean@eccentricartsweb.com

Submissions may also be mailed to:
Jean Sidinger, 11973 E. Lake Circle, Greenwood Village, CO, 80111

Don't forget to refer to the contest rules and submission information.

Open contests

Any adult poet may submit poems. 

Email submissions to: poetrypostoffice@gmail.com

Submissions may also be mailed directly to: 
Cheryl Wilkie, 8930 West 57th Avenue, Arvada, CO  80002

Don't forget to refer to the contest rules and submission information!

Contest Rules

Rules:

  • Contest themes are not to be used as poem titles.
  • Poets must be a member of PSC to submit to Member-Only contests.
  • Poets must be at least 18 years of age to submit to the Open Contests.
  • Entry fee: $5/poem. Each poet may enter up to three original poems. No previously published work will be accepted.
  • All submissions must arrive by published submissions dates. Plan accordingly.
  • If a pen name or pseudonym is used, the author must also submit his/her legal or alternative name or the entry will be disqualified.
  • A single poet can win no more than two cash prizes for each contest.
  • A contest may be cancelled if fewer than ten poems are entered.
  • Submission of entries presumes permission for the name of the winner to be posted on the PSC website AND for winning entries to be anthologized in the yearly Poets' Showcase unless the contest director is notified otherwise in writing.
  • Poem submission line limit: 40 lines (unless otherwise stated)
  • SEE SUBMISSION INFORMATION BELOW!

Submission Information

Requirements:

  • Proper submission form must be followed to qualify for contests.
  • Refer to the Contest Guides, as necessary, for each Open contest
  • Submit two typed copies of each poem on 8½ x 11-inch paper.
  • Use a 1-inch margin on all sides for each submission, including artwork.
  • In upper left-hand corner of first copy put "Poetry Society of Colorado" on first line; put name of contest and date on second line; put theme and form on third line. No name or address should appear on this copy.
  • In upper left-hand corner of second copy put the same information as on the first copy. In the upper right-hand corner of the second copy put your name on the first line, and address on the second and third lines. If a pen name/pseudonym is used, include legal name.
  • Enclose a check for the entry fee of $5.00 for each poem entered made payable to: Poetry Society of Colorado.
  • Send two copies of all entries to the appropriate contest director. 
  • Entries must be postmarked or submitted at a Poetry Society meeting by the deadline date.
  • Winning entries, including honorable mentions, will be returned at a meeting or mailed to the winners. Winning and non-winning entries will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with sufficient first-class postage.
  • To best understand submission layout requirements, as stated in this section, please refer to the Contest Submission Example file below in the "Contest Must & Shoulds" section.

Contest "Musts & Shoulds"

Some contests will have a supplemental file that contains additional information regarding what the submission "must & should" contain. If required, the information will be found here. Click the options below to download the appropriate file(s).

Contest Submission Example (pdf)Download

CONTEST PAYMENT INFORMATION

Below are two ways you can send in your contest entry fee(s).

Pay Contest Entry Fee

PSC now offers an online payment option to submit poems. Please select the number of poems you will be submitting below, then "add to cart" to pay using PayPal.


Don't forget to send your contest poems, using the criteria on this page, to the appropriate Contest Director by the published submission deadline.

CONTEST - Prefer to mail a check?

If you'd prefer to mail a check vs. paying via  Paypal, please mail checks to:

 Poetry Society of Colorado 
1410 Clayton Street
Denver, CO 80206

Prize Structure

Contest Prize Structure: (Unless otherwise stated)

  • 1st Place:  $25
  • 2nd Place: $15
  • 3rd Place:  $10

2023 Contest Winners

Congratulations Contest Winners!

July 2023 - Open Contest

Theme: Keys Open Doors Winners

1 st Pl - Open Soul, Susan Harman

2 nd Pl - They Say, Justine Hoke

3 rd Pl - Her Garden, Jean Sidinger

1 st hm -  Untitled, Daniel A. Martinez

2 nd hm - Keys, Jean Sidinger

3 rd hm - Remember, Amie Duclos


June 2023 - Contest Canceled


May 2023 - Open Contest

Theme: Prompt Picture

1 st Place - The Long November Dark, Olivia Rissland

2 nd Place  - The Moment, Marcel A Duclos

3 rd Place  - Broken, Charles Rakay

1 st HM -  The Voice, Charles Rakay

2 nd HM -  Karma, Gloria Vigilone

2rd HM -  The Moon Is Calling, Aime E. Duclos


April 2023 - Open Contest

Theme: Tanka

1 st Place - Anticipation, Cheryl L. Wilkie

2 nd Place - Sunshine so welcome, Jean E. Sidinger

3 rd Place  - Healer, Canna O’Carroll

1 st H.M.  - I wait for your call, Marcel A. Duclos

2 nd H.M. -  Omnipotent Oak, Jean E. Sidinger

3 rd H.M. -  Snowfall In, April Cheryl L. Wilkie


March 2023 -  Members Only 

Theme: Trees

1 st Place - To My Dear Linden,  Marcel Duclos 

2 nd Place - Aspen Sisters, Tracy Mitchell

3 rd Place -  Trees for High Places, Pandora Wilson 

1 st H.M.  -  Birch Trees, Tracy Mitchell 

2 nd H.M.  - Under the Trees, Charles Rakay 

3 rd H.M.  - Haiku-Water, Marcel Duclos 


February 2023 - Open Contest

Theme: Both Sides

1 st Place - Ya Cain’t Have One Side “Thout the Other,Cheryl Miller

2 nd Place -  In Memoriam, Nancy Bierman

3 rd Place -  What I Want to Know, Martin Postma

1 st HM -  How quietly we forget, Charles Rakay

2 nd HM -  Pen Palinode, Nancy Bierman

3 rd HM -  Pending Susan, Harman


January 2023 - Members Only

Theme: Before 

1 st Pl -  “I saw your messages with him”, Olivia Rissland

2 nd Pl -   Cast Shadow, Cheryl Wilkie

3 rd Pl -  b c, Cheryl Miller

1 st HM -  In Words, Gloria Viglione

2 nd HM - On the Perception of Time, II Olivia Rissland

3 rd HM -   This is how I begin to say good-bye to you, Oliva Rissland


See 2022 Contest Winners

Poetry Society of Colorado

Poetry Society of Colorado, 1410 Clayton Street Denver, CO 80206

303 257 1423

Copyright © 2023 Poetry Society of Colorado - All Rights Reserved.

Powered by GoDaddy