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/month 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 which are 2 pages or longer must be stapled, and must have ID on both pages of the IDed copy.
• Only one poem, per member, per month.  The poem must be typed or computer generated in 12 point font, Times New Roman or similar font preferred.  Single spaced.  No onion skin paper.  No hand-written poems.
• We do not accept previously published poems.  Please, no simultaneous submissions.
• 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.  Submitting in a regular business envelope is fine.
• 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 from our chapters; 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!

2021/2022 Members-Only Contests​

• June -- Sponsor, Lori Goetz.  Subject, Brushes.  Form, Any.  Line Limit, 24 max.
• July -- Sponsor, William Hill Art and Poetry.  Subject, A poem about a work of art.  Form, Any.  Line Limit, 40 max.
• August -- Sponsor, Howard Carman, Jr.  Subject, Growing Up.  Form, Any.  Line Limit, 40 max.
• September -- BREAK!  Be sure to enter our Festival Contest!
• October -- Sponsor, Florence Bruce.  Remembering Mick Denington: A poem of 20-40 lines in which we can spot reference to 3 of the 5 senses.  Any subject.
• November -- Sponsor, Emory Jones, Subject, Reasons for Thanksgiving, Form, Any.  40 lines max.
• December -- Sponsor, Eileen Spears.  Subject, Pristine.  Form, Any.   Line Limit, 40 lines max.
• January -- Sponsor, Janet Qually; click here for ekphrastic contest info
• February -- Sponsor, Russell Strauss. Subject, “I’ve been working on the railroad” – a poem, either lyric or narrative, about railroads or trains.  Form, Any.  Line Limit, 10-30.
• March -- Sponsor, PST-Northeast.  Any Subject/Any Form.  Line Limit, 40 lines max.
• April -- no contest; make sure you enter NFSPS (due March 15)
• May -- no contest

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

65th Annual Poetry Festival and Contest
Our 65th annual poetry festival contest brochure is now available!  Click here for additional information!

64th Annual Contest (2020) Winners
63rd Annual Contest (2019) Winners
​62nd Annual Contest (2018) Winners

Student Contest 
STUDENT CONTEST WINNERS WERE ANNOUNCED ON APRIL 3, 2021, SEE STUDENT CONTEST PAGE FOR DETAILS!!!!

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Sunset over Hyde Lake, Shelby Farms; Photo Credit, Lori Goetz

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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