Narrative Magazine
Annual poetry contest open to all poets, offering prizes up to $1,500 USD and potential publication in Narrative Magazine.
Narrative Magazine's Eighteenth Annual Poetry Contest is open to all poets worldwide, running from 6 May to 29 July 2026. Each entry may include up to five poems submitted as a single file, and you may enter as many times as you like — though the organisers encourage submitting your best, most selective work.
Prizes are awarded as follows: First Prize $1,500, Second Prize $750, Third Prize $300, and up to ten finalists each receive $75. All entries are also considered for publication in the magazine, eligible for the $5,000 Narrative Prize, and may be selected as a Poem of the Week.
Entries must be unpublished and must not have previously placed in other contests. Translations are not accepted, and work containing machine-generated text will not be considered.
The contest is judged by Narrative's editors, with winners and finalists announced publicly by 30 September 2026. All entrants will be notified by email. A $26 USD entry fee applies per submission, which includes three months of complimentary access to Narrative Backstage.
Narrative has 325,000 readers and a strong track record of launching poets — past winners and finalists have gone on to receive Whiting Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, Pushcart Prizes, and appearances in Best American Poetry and Best New Poets.
