Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

October 1 is the deadline for the 23rd annual Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest sponsored by Winning Writers. We will award the Tom Howard Prize of $3,500 for a poem in any style or genre, and the Margaret Reid Prize of $3,500 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style.

The entry fee is $25 for each submission of 1-3 poems. Ten Honorable Mentions will receive $500 each (any style). The top 12 entries will be published online. The top two winners will also receive two-year gift certificates from our co-sponsor, Duotrope.

Submit published or unpublished work online via Submittable. Most countries are eligible. Length limit per poem: 250 lines. This contest is recommended by Reedsy.

Please enjoy the ten most recent winning poems below.

Tom Howard Prize

D.T. Christensen

"Shoulder Season"

Margaret Reid Prize

Serrina Zou

"Ars Poetica"

Tom Howard Prize

Kizziah Burton

"Cist"

Margaret Reid Prize

Mikaela Hagen

"Sestina for My Daughter"

Tom Howard Prize

Maurya Kerr

"Orion"

Margaret Reid Prize

Tamara Panici

"Elegy for a Childhood Written in a Language I Did Not Yet Speak, Addressed to the God I Once Knew"

Tom Howard Prize

Qin Qin

"Bastards' Tongue"

Margaret Reid Prize

Edythe Rodriguez

"afro/latin/a"

Tom Howard Prize

Tony Keith Jr.

"Black Man on Fire"

Margaret Reid Prize

Kayleb Rae Candrilli

"Ghazals Connected as Though Cargo Freights"