This directory lists selected poetry competitions along with their 2009 deadlines and brief description.

If you would like to suggest a competition to add to the list, or if you notice a scam competition on the list, please leave a comment below.

As always, before submitting a poem to a competition, check its rules and regulations thoroughly, and get multiple third-parties’ opinions on the competition to guard against scams.

Selected poetry competitions, 2009

Name	Details and contact	Elig.	Deadline
Essex Poetry Festival 9th Open Poetry Competition	English poems, 40 lines max Prizes: £100 – £500 Entry: £3 per poem, £10 for 5 poems More details	-	30 July
Foyle Young Poets of the Year 2009	English poems, any form and theme Entry: Free More details	11-17 years of age	31 July
7th Annual Ipswich Poetry Feast International Poetry Competition	English poems, various categories Prizes: $20 – $600 Entry: Free if under 18 years, $5 per entry otherwise More details	Various age categories	31 July
Donn Goodwin Poetry Prize	Emphasizes poetry with Irish or Irish-American themes Prize: $100 Entry: free More details	-	1 Aug
Joseph Gahagen Poetry Prize	Emphasizes poetry with Irish or Irish-American themes Prize: $100 Entry: free More details	Wisconsin residents	1 Aug
Memoir (and) Prize in Prose or Poetry	Prizes: $100 – $500 Entry: free More details	-	15 Aug
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest	English poems, all styles and themes Prizes: $100 – $2,000 Entry: $7 per 25 lines More details	-	30 Sept
National Poetry Competition 2009	Unpublished English poems Prizes: £500 – £5000 Entry: First poem £5, subsequent £3; discount for Poetry Society members More details	At least 17 years old	31 Oct

Poetry competition directories

Directory	Notes
The Poetry Kit’s Poetry Competitions list	-
Winning Writer’s Best Free Poetry Contests	Free membership required
dmoz’s Contests: Poetry category	-