Writing Competition: Robert H. Winner Memorial Award

Robert H. Winner Memorial Award: $2,500

For a manuscript of 10 pages by a mid-career poet who has not had substantial recognition. Open to poets 40 and over who have published no more than one full-length collection of poetry. Poets who have not published a poetry collection are eligible.

Previously published poems are acceptable; include acknowledgment of publications on your cover sheet. Poems entered as part of a Winner manuscript may be entered individually in other PSA awards, if they haven’t been previously published.

Judged by Michael Dickman

Established by the family and friends of Robert H. Winner, whose first book of poems appeared when he was almost fifty years old.

Submission Details & Instructions 

• Awards are free for Poetry Society of America members.

• The fees for non-members are: single poem awards are $10, and multiple poem awards are $15.

• Personal identification cannot appear anywhere in the submission document, including in the file name.

• Only one entry per award.

• You cannot submit the same poem to more than one award.

• The exception: Individual poems submitted to the Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award or Robert H. Winner Award may be submitted to another PSA award.

• The submission must not have been previously published or accepted for publication.

• The exception: Individual poems submitted to the Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award and the Robert Winner Award may have been published.

• Simultaneous submissions are fine; if the poem is accepted elsewhere for publication, please withdraw the submission.

• Submissions written by more than one author are not eligible.

• Translations are not eligible. All poems must be original and primarily in English.

• A poem that has previously won a Poetry Society of America award cannot be resubmitted to any of the awards.

• We cannot accept corrections after submission.

• Submissions from Poetry Society employees, officers, advisory board committee members, or their immediate families are ineligible.

• All submissions are judged anonymously.

Notification 

• We cannot confirm receipt over the phone or email.

• We cannot accept any corrections or revisions to submissions.

• The winners will be announced in late spring.

More information and submission portal here.