The 2026 MARSH HAWK PRESS POETRY PRIZES

Online submissions only 

READ CONTEST RULES BELOW AND ENTER NOW

CONTEST JUDGE: DENISE DUHAMEL

 

The MARSH HAWK PRESS POETRY PRIZE

($2,000.00 Cash Prize and Publication of the Book.)

The ROBERT CREELEY MEMORIAL AWARD

($250.00 Cash Prize)

The ROCHELLE RATNER MEMORIAL AWARD

($250.00 Cash Prize)

Beginning December 1, 2025, Marsh Hawk Press is accepting submissions of poetry manuscripts to the annual Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prizes. Deadline is April 30, 2026. We welcome submissions from emerging as well as established poets.

The Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize winner receives $2,000.00, book publication, and promotion. Winners of the Robert Creeley and Rochelle Ratner prizes, selected from finalists, receive $250.00 each.

Guidelines for Manuscript Submission:

• We accept electronic submissions only.
• Screening for the Marsh Hawk Press prizes is blind. Because of this, no personal contact information is allowed within your manuscript, including within the filename. Electronic submissions will have contact information collected via Submittable, which is hidden from our screeners. 
• Do not include any preambles or bios within your submitted manuscript.
• Manuscripts must have a table of contents.
• Manuscripts must be typed in a no less than 12-point font, paginated, and 48 – 84 pages long (single-spaced). 
• Individual poems from the manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, anthologies, or chapbooks of less than 25 pages, but the collection, as a whole, must be unpublished.
• Translations and self-published books are not eligible.
• Send your manuscript via Submittable only with a cover page that lists the title of your manuscript. No personal/contact information can be included in your manuscript.
• Winners will be announced in early summer, following the close of the contest.
• The Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize entry fee is $30.00 for each submission. Payment is through Submittable. Please note that manuscript fees paid are not refundable.
• To submit (beginning December 1, 2025, and open until 11:59 PM EST on April 30, 2026) click here.

About Marsh Hawk Press’ Screening Process
Manuscripts submitted to the Marsh Hawk Press prize contests are screened anonymously. During the screening process, every manuscript is read by a minimum of two Marsh Hawk Press editors. Submissions are winnowed to a group of finalists from which the Contest Judge chooses the winners. 

WE SUBSCRIBE TO THE CLMP Contest Code of Ethics CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believe that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines—defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.