The Poetry Society of Tennessee (PST) holds members-only contests through the year. When you participate in a contest, you connect to your community, practice your craft, and take advantage of an opportunity to be published. Contest winners receive monetary prizes, and first place poems are published in PST's anthology, Tennessee Voices. See Publications for information on past and forthcoming editions and how to purchase a copy.
2025/2026 MEMBERS-ONLY CONTESTS
OCTOBER The Art of the Villanelle
Subject: Any / Form: Villanelle / Line Limit: 19 lines (per form)
Sponsor and judge: K.B. Ballentine
Prizes: $25,$15, $10
Entries accepted October 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in November.
NOVEMBER Ekphrastic
Ekphrastic poem based on drawing (see image at right)
Form: Any / Line limit: 40 lines
Sponsor and judge: Janet Qually
Prizes: $20,$15, $10
Entries accepted November 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in December.
Subject: Any / Form: Villanelle / Line Limit: 19 lines (per form)
Sponsor and judge: K.B. Ballentine
Prizes: $25,$15, $10
Entries accepted October 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in November.
NOVEMBER Ekphrastic
Ekphrastic poem based on drawing (see image at right)
Form: Any / Line limit: 40 lines
Sponsor and judge: Janet Qually
Prizes: $20,$15, $10
Entries accepted November 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in December.
DECEMBER Christmas
Subject : "What does Christmas mean to me?" (can be religious or family oriented) / Form: Sonnet
Sponsor JoAn Howerton. Judge: one of her children
Prizes: $25, $15, $10
Entries accepted December 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in January.
JANUARY The Corner of Prose and Poetry
Subject: Any / Form: Prose poem / Line limit: 400 word limit in lieu of line limit
Be sure to format in single-space Times New Roman 12 pt font
Sponsor and judge: Jennifer Smith
Prizes: $30,$20,$10
Entries accepted January 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in February.
FEBRUARY A Regret
Subject: "The thing I most regret" / Form: Any / Line limit: 32
Sponsor and judge: Dr. Diane Clark
Prizes: $30, $20, $10
Entries accepted February 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in March.
MARCH SPRING BREAK
No contest.
APRIL The Lannet
Subject: Any / Form: Lannet / Line Limit: 14 lines
Sponsor and judge: Deborah Adams
Prizes: TBA
Entries accepted April 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in May.
Lannet: Invented by Laura Lamarca, the lannet features 14 lines, 10 syllables per line, no meter restrictions, no end rhymes, only internal rhyme chosen by writer. No subject matter restrictions. See example.
MAY Workshop Bonanza
Any subject or form, BUT it must include an element from a Poetry Society of Tennessee workshop presented at a member meeting between May 2025 and April 2026. On your entry, note which workshop or workshop(s) you relied upon in the creation of your poem. Find a list of workshops here. (MEMBERS: for replay links, consult your latest meeting notice.)
Line Limit: max 40 lines
Sponsor: Bill Hill / Judge: TBA
Prizes: TBA
June Pop Music
Subject: "Popular Music" (Do not write about Elvis or the Beetles) / Form: Any / Line limit: 10-30)
Sponsor and judge: Russell H. Strauss
Prizes: TBA
Note: contests without specified line limits are the shorter of 40 lines or the form requirement.
Subject : "What does Christmas mean to me?" (can be religious or family oriented) / Form: Sonnet
Sponsor JoAn Howerton. Judge: one of her children
Prizes: $25, $15, $10
Entries accepted December 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in January.
JANUARY The Corner of Prose and Poetry
Subject: Any / Form: Prose poem / Line limit: 400 word limit in lieu of line limit
Be sure to format in single-space Times New Roman 12 pt font
Sponsor and judge: Jennifer Smith
Prizes: $30,$20,$10
Entries accepted January 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in February.
FEBRUARY A Regret
Subject: "The thing I most regret" / Form: Any / Line limit: 32
Sponsor and judge: Dr. Diane Clark
Prizes: $30, $20, $10
Entries accepted February 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in March.
MARCH SPRING BREAK
No contest.
APRIL The Lannet
Subject: Any / Form: Lannet / Line Limit: 14 lines
Sponsor and judge: Deborah Adams
Prizes: TBA
Entries accepted April 1 - 15. Winners will be announced in May.
Lannet: Invented by Laura Lamarca, the lannet features 14 lines, 10 syllables per line, no meter restrictions, no end rhymes, only internal rhyme chosen by writer. No subject matter restrictions. See example.
MAY Workshop Bonanza
Any subject or form, BUT it must include an element from a Poetry Society of Tennessee workshop presented at a member meeting between May 2025 and April 2026. On your entry, note which workshop or workshop(s) you relied upon in the creation of your poem. Find a list of workshops here. (MEMBERS: for replay links, consult your latest meeting notice.)
Line Limit: max 40 lines
Sponsor: Bill Hill / Judge: TBA
Prizes: TBA
June Pop Music
Subject: "Popular Music" (Do not write about Elvis or the Beetles) / Form: Any / Line limit: 10-30)
Sponsor and judge: Russell H. Strauss
Prizes: TBA
Note: contests without specified line limits are the shorter of 40 lines or the form requirement.
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SEPTEMBER FERTILITY PHARMACY CONTEST 2025
This is a special contest sponsored by the Fertility Pharmacy of America. Please see contest details below. Entries will be accepted through Septeber 15. Winners will be announced in October. Subject: Fertility Struggles Form: Any Line limit: 40 lines max Prizes: $200 for first place, $150 for second place, and $100 for third place 1st through 3rd place winners will be published by Fertility Pharmacy of America and 1st place will be reprinted in next year's edition of Tennessee Voices Anthology. All rights revert back to author following publication; however, Fertility Pharmacy of America and Tennessee Voices Anthology retain non-exclusive publication and archive rights. Judging: Many thanks to Will Weimer, Vince Jackson, and Kirk Rawl (company management) for serving as judges. Poems will be evaluated individually and then awards will be agreed upon by the judges collectively. Note: No AI; all poems must be original, previously unpublished. No simultaneous submissions will be accepted. Special Requirements: Email submissions only. Please follow email submission requirements for members-only contests. (If a member needs assistance with email submissions, please contact [email protected].) For more specifics regarding format, submission, etc., please see PST Members Only Contest Rules. For the email subject line, type "Submission for Fertility Pharmacy Contest-[Last Name]." About the Sponsor: Fertility Pharmacy of America is transforming fertility care by forming trusted relationships with both patients and providers, equipping them with practical support and unmatched service to create generational impact. |
AUGUST 2025 FULL MOON Poetry Contest (NOW CLOSED)
UPDATE: Winners will be announced in OCTOBER. This is a special contest sponsored by the Full Moon Poetry Group. Please see contest details below. Entries will be accepted through August 15. Submit one ghazal on any subject. (Only one entry per person.) Line limit: 5-15 couplets, as per form (30 lines max, not counting title or blank lines) For more information or review, please excerpts from Cathy Hollister’s February 2025 PST presentation on the ghazal and these resources. Entries will be scored by all judges. Poems will be judged in 4 areas: diction; figurative language; technique; theme. Poems will be evaluated individually and then awards will be agreed upon by the judges collectively. In lieu of prize money, all entrants will receive electronic feedback from at least 2 judges. 1st place poem will be published in the 2026 Tennessee Voices anthology. Winners will be announced in September and evaluations will be returned on or before the October PST meeting. Note: No AI; all poems must be original, previously unpublished. No simultaneous submissions will be accepted. For more specifics regarding format, submission, etc., please see PST Members Only Contest Rules. For the email subject line, type "Submission for Full Moon Contest-[Last Name]" Entries accepted through August 15. JUDGING CRITERA Diction includes: vocabulary, word choice, syntax, effective use of rhyme where appropriate (20% of total score) Figurative language: imagery, alliteration, metaphor, simile, assonance, and consonance (20%) Technique: volta (turns), line breaks, enjambment, visual layout, title, 1st line, last line, foreshadowing (30%) Theme: symbolism, message, layers of meaning (30%) Many thanks to judges Cathy Hollister, Cynthia Storrs, Ione Singletary, Nikki Noushin, Scott Pierce, and Betty Lee Kasoff |
CONTEST RESULTS
2025-2026 MEMBER CONTEST RESULTS
September
SEPTEMBER FERTILITY PHARMACY CONTEST 2025
This is a special contest sponsored by the Fertility Pharmacy of America for a poem about fertility struggles.
1st through 3rd place winners will be published by Fertility Pharmacy of America and 1st place will be reprinted in next year's edition of Tennessee Voices Anthology.
Judging: Many thanks to Will Weimer, Vince Jackson, and Kirk Rawl (company management) for serving as judges.
1st: "Miscarriage" by John C. Mannone
2nd: "To the Baby We Almost Had" by Sherry Poff
3rd: To be or not to be" by Mark Hudson
HM: "baby talk" by Lisa Kamolnick
August 2025 FULL MOON Poetry Contest
This is a special contest sponsored by the Full Moon Poetry Group: a ghazal on any subject. In lieu of prize money, all entrants will receive electronic feedback from at least 2 judges. 1st place poem will be published in the 2026 Tennessee Voices anthology. Many thanks to judges Cathy Hollister, Cynthia Storrs, Ione Singletary, Nikki Noushin, Scott Pierce, and Betty Lee Kasoff
1st Place "Maui in Harmony" by Jennifer Smith
2nd Place "Swimming Laps" by Connie Green
3rd Place "Praying in the Garden of Croton Petras with the Sound of Herons in the Distance" by John Mannone
July Treasurer's Contest: a poem about money. Many thanks to sponsor and judge Howard S. Carman, Jr.
1st: "Grand Mansion According to an Unbalanced Accountant" by Laura Gunnells Miller
2nd: "A Cautionary Limerick" by Deborah Z Adams
3rd: "In the Checkout Line at Tractor Supply" by Sherry Poff
1HM: "Hole in the Pocket" by Russell H. Strauss
June A Burma Shave poem. Many thanks to sponsor and judge Russell Strauss.
1st: “Not Blather” by Fred Tudiver
2nd: “White Beard” by Howard Carman
PAST WINNERS
Congratulations to winners and many thanks to sponsors, judges and all entrants in our members-only contests.
Get the 2024-2025 Member Contest Winners list (including the inaugural Full Moon Poetry contest).
Get the list of 2023-2024 and 2022-2023 monthly contest winners.
2025-2026 MEMBER CONTEST RESULTS
September
SEPTEMBER FERTILITY PHARMACY CONTEST 2025
This is a special contest sponsored by the Fertility Pharmacy of America for a poem about fertility struggles.
1st through 3rd place winners will be published by Fertility Pharmacy of America and 1st place will be reprinted in next year's edition of Tennessee Voices Anthology.
Judging: Many thanks to Will Weimer, Vince Jackson, and Kirk Rawl (company management) for serving as judges.
1st: "Miscarriage" by John C. Mannone
2nd: "To the Baby We Almost Had" by Sherry Poff
3rd: To be or not to be" by Mark Hudson
HM: "baby talk" by Lisa Kamolnick
August 2025 FULL MOON Poetry Contest
This is a special contest sponsored by the Full Moon Poetry Group: a ghazal on any subject. In lieu of prize money, all entrants will receive electronic feedback from at least 2 judges. 1st place poem will be published in the 2026 Tennessee Voices anthology. Many thanks to judges Cathy Hollister, Cynthia Storrs, Ione Singletary, Nikki Noushin, Scott Pierce, and Betty Lee Kasoff
1st Place "Maui in Harmony" by Jennifer Smith
2nd Place "Swimming Laps" by Connie Green
3rd Place "Praying in the Garden of Croton Petras with the Sound of Herons in the Distance" by John Mannone
July Treasurer's Contest: a poem about money. Many thanks to sponsor and judge Howard S. Carman, Jr.
1st: "Grand Mansion According to an Unbalanced Accountant" by Laura Gunnells Miller
2nd: "A Cautionary Limerick" by Deborah Z Adams
3rd: "In the Checkout Line at Tractor Supply" by Sherry Poff
1HM: "Hole in the Pocket" by Russell H. Strauss
June A Burma Shave poem. Many thanks to sponsor and judge Russell Strauss.
1st: “Not Blather” by Fred Tudiver
2nd: “White Beard” by Howard Carman
PAST WINNERS
Congratulations to winners and many thanks to sponsors, judges and all entrants in our members-only contests.
Get the 2024-2025 Member Contest Winners list (including the inaugural Full Moon Poetry contest).
Get the list of 2023-2024 and 2022-2023 monthly contest winners.
MEMBERS-ONLY CONTEST RULES *** Effective July 1, 2025 ***
FORMAT
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Prepare an ID Copy and a Blind Copy as follows:
MAILED ENTRIES
E-MAILED ENTRIES (PREFERRED)
1. Unless otherwise noted, contests accept emailed entries. (PST prefers email entries.)
2. Submit your entry via email to [email protected].
3. For the email subject line, type "Submission for [Month] Contest-[Last Name]"
4. In the body of your email, list the month and name of the contest, followed by your name, address, email address, and title of your poem.
5. Attach an ID Copy and a Blind Copy to your email.
a) For the ID Copy we recommend a file name of Month_Last Name_Title (e.g., July_Manning_Sawdust Tree).
b) For the Blind Copy we recommend a file name of Month_Title (e.g., July_Sawdust Tree). Ensure no identifying information appears in the document or file of your Blind Copy.
HAVE QUESTIONS? NEED HELP?
Ask us. We’re eager to help. Email [email protected] with the subject line: CONTEST INFO PLEASE.
Especially for our digital non-natives: Need help getting your poem single-spaced in Word? Not sure how to attach a file to email? Other technology questions? Reach out. Email [email protected] with the subject line: CONTEST INFO PLEASE.
Questions on poetic forms? See Florence Bruce's Blogspot and more, available on our resources page.
Get a printer-friendly version of our guidelines here.
- Poetry Society of Tennessee (PST) members may enter (dues owed must be paid in full). Not a member? Join us.
- Unless otherwise specified in a contest, the following rules apply:
- ***NEW*** Unless otherwise specified, a contest opens for submission the 1st through 15th of the contest month. (e.g., the July contest is open July 1-15.) Entries postmarked or emailed before the 1st or after the 15th will not be considered.
- Only one entry per contest per member.
- Your work must be original, created without use of Artificial Intelligence assisted technologies.
- Your work must not have been previously published, including online displays.
- No simultaneous submissions.
- While PST welcomes a variety of themes and topics, we do not accept explicitly violent or sexual content for our contests.
- Contests are judged blind. Send an ID copy and a Blind copy in accordance with submission guidelines. The ID copy will be forwarded to the Contest Chair; the Blind copy will be forwarded to the judge. Please ensure no identifying information is included on the blind copy.
- PST publishes first-place poems in Tennessee Voices Anthology. By submitting an entry, you agree to give PST first publishing rights should your poem be selected for publication. Following publication, all rights revert to the author. You also grant PST non-exclusive electronic permission to post this work in archives and share it through social media and/or live presentations. We ask that you credit Tennessee Voices if the work is published elsewhere in the future.
FORMAT
- ENTRIES MUST BE SINGLE SPACED, typed or computer generated in 12-point Times New Roman or similar font.
- Unless otherwise specified, line count does not include the title or one space below the title. All other lines, including blank lines, are included.
- If your poem runs more than one page, please clearly note continuation on the first page and place the title on all pages.
- We do not accept hand-written poems or poems on onion skin paper.
- We accept these formats for digital entries: .doc. .docx, .pdf and .txt.
- If your poem is selected for publication, we will maintain format if at all possible. Should lines exceed 55 characters including spaces, we will reformat. We reserve the right to make minor revisions to works (e.g., spacing conventions for em dashes, correction of typographical errors, and the like).
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Prepare an ID Copy and a Blind Copy as follows:
- ID Copy: Include ID information on all pages of the ID copy. List the month and name of the contest in the upper left side of each page of the entry. Place the poet's ID information in the upper right side of each page of the entry: include name and address for all entries (for mailed entries, an address label/sticker is acceptable.) For email entries, also include your email address.
- Blind Copy: Place the month and name of the contest in the upper left side of the entry. Do not place any identifying information on this copy.
- Entries must be postmarked or emailed during the open period for the contest (see rules at top of page)
MAILED ENTRIES
- Unless otherwise noted, contests accept mailed entries.
- Be sure to submit both an ID and Blind Copy.
- Poems two pages or longer must be stapled.
- Submitting in a regular business envelope is fine.
- Send mailed entries to the Monthly Contest Chair: Russell Strauss, 18 S. Rembert Street Memphis, TN 38104.
E-MAILED ENTRIES (PREFERRED)
1. Unless otherwise noted, contests accept emailed entries. (PST prefers email entries.)
2. Submit your entry via email to [email protected].
3. For the email subject line, type "Submission for [Month] Contest-[Last Name]"
4. In the body of your email, list the month and name of the contest, followed by your name, address, email address, and title of your poem.
5. Attach an ID Copy and a Blind Copy to your email.
a) For the ID Copy we recommend a file name of Month_Last Name_Title (e.g., July_Manning_Sawdust Tree).
b) For the Blind Copy we recommend a file name of Month_Title (e.g., July_Sawdust Tree). Ensure no identifying information appears in the document or file of your Blind Copy.
HAVE QUESTIONS? NEED HELP?
Ask us. We’re eager to help. Email [email protected] with the subject line: CONTEST INFO PLEASE.
Especially for our digital non-natives: Need help getting your poem single-spaced in Word? Not sure how to attach a file to email? Other technology questions? Reach out. Email [email protected] with the subject line: CONTEST INFO PLEASE.
Questions on poetic forms? See Florence Bruce's Blogspot and more, available on our resources page.
Get a printer-friendly version of our guidelines here.
MORE CONTESTS
The National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) offers contests annually, including:
Get details on NFSPS and other state society contests.
The National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) offers contests annually, including:
- Annual poetry contests
- Blackberry Peach Spoken & Heard: a contest for page and stage
- Blackberry Peach National Slam
- College Undergraduate Competition: chapbook competition
- Barbara Stevens Poetry Manuscript Competition
- Manningham Trust Student Poetry Contest (for grades 6 through 12)
Get details on NFSPS and other state society contests.