The Poetry Society of Tennessee (PST) sponsors multiple contests through the year.

Monthly Members-Only Contests
Our contests run September-May (with our calendar); contests are sponsored by individual PST members or chapters.  Contest rules are summarized below:

• PST members may enter.  Not a member?  Join us.
• Submit 2 copies: one with the name of the contest in the upper left; the second with the name of the contest in the upper left, and the poet's ID information in the upper right (name, address, phone, email).  An address label/sticker is acceptable.  Poems 2 pages or longer must be stapled, and must have ID on both pages of the IDed copy.
• Poems must be typed or computer generated in 11 or 12 point font.  No onion skin paper.  No hand-written poems.
• All poems must be postmarked no later than the 15th of the prior month; for example, if you are submitting a poem for the January contest, poems must be postmarked no later than December 15th.  

• We are very sorry, but we do not accept electronic submittals at this time; all monthly entries must be submitted in hardcopy as described above.
• Send all entries to the Monthly Contest Chair: Ann Carolyn Cates, 7471 Greenbrook Pkwy, Southaven, MS  38671.

Monthly winners are announced at monthly meetings and in monthly communications; see our news page for links to the last years' monthly reports.  First place winners are also published in Tennessee Voices, our annual anthology.  See our publications page for information on how to purchase a copy!

2020/2021 Members-Only Contests

• ​September — Sponsor: Pamela Watson, Subject: Any, Form: Iambic pentameter, rhymed or blank verse, Lines: 40 max
• November — Sponsor: Lori Goetz, Subject: The hunter or the hunted, Form: Any, Lines: 24 max
• December — Sponsor: Florence Bruce, Subject: Any, Form: Blank verse narrative, Lines: 40 max
• January — Sponsor: Carol Roberts, Subject: Any, Form: Ghazal, Lines: 10-24
• February — Sponsor: Russell Strauss, Subject: “Get a Job” — on the subject of jobs, work or retirement from work, Form: Any, Lines: 10-30 lines
• March — Sponsor: Ruby Jones, Subject: Justice, Form: Any, Lines: 40 max
• April — Sponsor: PST NE, Subject: Any, Form: Any, Lines:40 max
• May — Sponsor: Howard Carman, Jr., Subject: Any, Form: Petrarchan Sonnet, Lines: 14

Questions on poetic forms?  See our resources page.  This has a link to Florence Bruce's Blogspot, as well as several other resources.

2020 Summer Contests
While the West Tennessee chapter takes a hiatus from regular meetings​ during June and July, we  typically sponsor an annual summer contest.  However, during this year of COVID-19, we are sponsoring three monthly contests for our members to keep everyone inspired:

June -- Pandemics, any form, 40 lines max
July -- "Of thee I sing...", any form, 40 lines max
August -- Road Trip: my favorite vacation, any form, 40 lines max

Send all entries to the Monthly Contest Chair: Ann Carolyn Cates, 7471 Greenbrook Pkwy, Southaven, MS  38671 by the 15th of the preceding month (5/15, 6/15, and 7/15, respectively).  Good luck!

64th Annual Poetry Festival and Contest
The 64th Annual Poetry Festival is being planned now, but the Contest Brochure is posted!  Click here for your copy, share it with your friends, and start writing some poems!  All entries are due August 10, 2020!  Looking for more information about our 64th Annual Festival, please see our Festival Page.

63rd Annual Contest (2019) Winners
​62nd Annual Contest (2018) Winners

Student Contest 
Looking for our student contest information?  Click here!

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National Federation of State Poetry Societies

• PST also encourages its members to participate in contests sponsored by the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS).
• The main NFSPS Contest is held annually, with submittals due March 15.  Contests and rules may be found here.  Note that long-time PST member Russell Strauss sponsors critiquing challenges to help PST members prepare for 6-7 of these contests.  These challenges are posted in August and are ongoing from September-March.
• NFSPS's Blackberry Peach Award, offered in parallel with the annual NFSPS Contest, focuses on spoken word/oral/performance poetry.  
• NFSPS also encourages members to participate in contests sponsored by our sister societies across the country.  Links to these contests may be found here.
• NFSPS also sponsors the Manningham Trust Student Poetry Contest for middle and high school students.  See the link here for further information.​

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