Submit to the 2023 Emma Howell Rising Poet Prize!

Willow Springs Books is seeking submissions for the Emma Howell Rising Poet Prize, a first poetry book prize for poets 35 years old and younger who have not yet published a book-length poetry manuscript (poets who have previously published chapbooks are welcome to submit).

The Emma Howell Rising Poet Prize was established to honor the life and poetry of Emma Howell, who passed away in 2001 at the age of 20. Emma was a prolific poet whose work is collected in a single volume of poetry, Slim Night of Recognition. Emma’s body of work is testament to her immense talent and wisdom beyond her years. Despite being so young, Emma’s poetry showcases a mastery of voice and imagery, in addition to possessing an undeniable spiritual maturity and emotional intensity. Through the Emma Howell Rising Poet Prize, Willow Springs Books hopes to promote the publication of young, up-and-coming poets.

The competition is open for submissions from 6/20/2022 to 11/18/2022. Finalists will be selected in late February, and the winner will be announced in late March. The winning poetry manuscript will be selected by the series’ judge, changing yearly. The winner receives $2000 plus publication in our Emma Howell Rising Poets series.

Read about last year’s winner Caitilin Curran and her award-winning manuscript With Midnight Down Your Throat here.

ELIGIBILITY

Poets 35 years old and younger who have not previously published a book-length poetry manuscript are eligible.

Poets who have previously published chapbooks are welcome to enter.

Manuscripts that have been submitted in previous years may be resubmitted.

There is an entry fee of $25.

Graduates of Eastern Washington University’s MFA in Creative Writing program must be 5 years removed from their degree before submitting

GUIDELINES

Submissions must be original, book-length poetry manuscripts (minimum of 48 pages) written in English. There is no maximum page count. Translations are not accepted.

One manuscript per submission.

Submissions will only be accepted electronically, via Submittable.

Poets may submit one manuscript per year.

Simultaneous submissions are allowed. If you have submitted your manuscript elsewhere, we request that you notify us immediately if you have an offer for publication.

Manuscripts MUST CONTAIN page numbers and a table of contents. Individual poems may have been previously published in journals, chapbooks, anthologies, or limited-edition volumes, but please note which poems and where they have been published on an acknowledgments page. The collection as a whole must be previously unpublished.

Willow Springs Books reserves the right to reject any manuscript for any reason.

For the well-being of our staff, we ask that you include content warnings in your cover letter for any poems within your manuscript that may have triggering material (i.e. self-harm, suicide, sexual misconduct, race or gender-based violence, etc.)