Dawn Prize for Poetry
Contest closed. Thanks for submitting!
Guest Judge: Tariq Thompson
Tariq Thompson is a poet and educator from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the author of the chapbook LONE LILY (Sunset Press, 2021). His poetry has appeared in the American Poetry Review, The Adroit Journal, Sixth Finch, and elsewhere. Thompson was a finalist for a 2023 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship and was awarded the 2020 Adroit Prize for Poetry. He holds an MFA in poetry from New York University, where he was a Writers in the Public Schools Fellow. Learn more about his work at tariqthompson.com.
About the contest:
The Dawn Prize for poetry is our annual contest for emerging writers! Our editors will read all submissions and compile a longlist and shortlist by October 1st, and our guest judge will select the final winners by October 15th.
You are eligible to submit if you have published less than two books of poetry (not including self published books).
Between July 15th and September 15th, please submit up to 5 poems in the form below. If you are unable to convert your poems to a Google Document, you may also attach them in an email to thedawnreviewsubmissions@gmail.com with your name and the word "contest" in the subject line. All forms and subject matters are welcome, including prose poetry, visual poetry, and experimental poetry.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please only submit poems that have not been previously published. If your poem is accepted elsewhere, please let us know immediately.
The winning poet will receive $100, editorial praise from our guest judge, and guaranteed publication. The runner up will receive $25, editorial praise from our guest judge, and guaranteed publication. All poets on the shortlist and longlist will receive a featured spot on our website and social media platforms.
2024 Winners
FIRST PLACE WINNER —
"alaskan break up song" by Sara Iacovelli
RUNNER-UP —
"Traditional Chinese Medicine" by Fran Qi
SHORTLIST —
“LETTER TO [OLD GOD]” by Edison Hicks
“98 ways to say apocalypse” by Francis de Lima
“bug days” by Jessica Hsu
“Kali” by Khamosh
“Elegy for the Letter 'V'” by Kyla Guimaraes
“Redless” by Marvellous Igwe
LONGLISTED POETS —
Abdulbasit Oluwanishola
Annalisa Hansford
Brian Chan
Eliongema Udofia
FM Stringer
Hazelyn Aroian
Julia Liu
KP Kaszubowski
Madeleine Moon-Chun
Theodore Heil
2023 Winners
FIRST PLACE WINNER —
"Sanctuary with the Burning Self" by Muhammed Olowonjoyin
RUNNER-UP —
"Memory: Nonlinear" by Ivi Hua
SHORTLIST —
"Cassiopeia" by Fiona Jin
"frankenstein’s monster gets dressed, crying:" by Avery Yoder-Wells
"Aubade" by MJ Gomez
"Little Heart 小心" by Edward Gunawan