C.D. Wright Emerging Poet's Prize 2026

SUBMISSIONS OPEN: October 5 - November 15th  

Judge: Shane McCrae 

Entries for the C.D. Wright Emerging Poet's Prize should be 3-5 poems originally written in English, with a total of no more than 6 pages. Any poet writing in English is eligible to submit: U.S. citizenship is not a restriction of eligibility. You may submit more than once, but each new entry must be accompanied by a separate entry fee.      

Contest Guidelines:

• Open to writers who haven’t yet published a full-length poetry book, and who have no book forthcoming before May 1, 2027. Writers with chapbooks are allowed. Writers with a self-published book with a print run under 300 copies are allowed. The winner receives $1000 and publication in the Arkansas International. 
• All work will be considered for inclusion in the print magazine.
• Only previously unpublished work will be considered.
• The contest will be judged blindly, so please DO NOT include your cover letter, your name, or any contact information in your uploaded document.
• Submit your work as a single .doc, or .docx file.
• Close friends of the judge, as well as anyone recently affiliated with any campus belonging to the University of Arkansas system, which includes those who have studied or worked there within the past 4 years, are ineligible.