The 2027 Central Avenue Poetry Prize
Details
Thank you for your interest in the annual Central Avenue Poetry Prize. We are now closed for submissions. All entrants will be contacted to confirm their entry by February 24. Winners and shortlist will be contacted by June 15, 2026.
Why: To amplify the work of poets from around the world.
Who: Open to anyone internationally.
What: You may submit up to 5 individual poems written in English only.
How: Format each poem on a new page in one pdf or word processing document. Limit size to less than two pages/poem. Do not send artwork, links to documents or embed the submissions in an email.
Where: Via a form linked here.
How Much: Cost is $25 USD per entry, for a maximum of 5 poems, via our PayPal. (e.g. $25 will cover 1-5 poems. If you wish to submit more than five poems, this will cost another $25) Ensure that the name associated with your PayPal, or the email you use, corresponds with the name or email on your submission.
When: Jan 1st 2026 – Feb 16 2026.
Prizes
One grand prize of $500.00 USD and 3 runners-up of $100.00 USD each will be awarded. A poet may win only once.
The four winning poems and up to 50 additional poems will be chosen for publication in the third annual Central Avenue Poetry Prize to be published and made available to the trade in April 2026. Each poem selected for the book will receive an honorarium of $25.
All judging is performed while masking the name of the submitter. This enables us to have a completely unbiased opinion on the works submitted.
General Guidelines
Open to any poem that has NOT been previously traditionally published in a book or collection (self published is accepted).
Entries containing messages of hate, intolerance, or are in the vein of exclusivity will be discarded.
This is a not-for-profit endeavor and we are committed to paying our editors fairly, hence the entry fee. However, we have ten free submissions available to those who are in current need of assistance. Email info@centralavenuepublishing.com to discuss.