John Ciardi Prize for Poetry
G. S. Sharat Chandra Prize for Short Fiction
$1,000 and book publication for each prize
Submission Deadline: Contest entries temporarily suspended
2020 Contest Winners
We are pleased to announce the winners of our most recent contests:
John Ciardi Prize for Poetry: Laura Minor of Jacksonville, Florida. Selected by John Hodgen.
G. S. Sharat Chandra Prize for Short Fiction: Amin Ahmad of Durham, North Carolina. Selected by Stephanie Powell Watts.
(The 2020 contest entry deadline was January 15, 2020.)
Electronic Submissions should include:
- 1 Microsoft Word document or PDF.
- Poetry manuscripts: approximately 50-110 pages, single spaced. Short fiction collections: approximately 125-300 pages, double spaced.
-
One title page within the manuscript
(no author information) - No additional identifying information should appear in the manuscript. Such information, including acknowledgments, will be removed prior to judging.
- Table of Contents within the manuscript
-
Uploaded files should have the same name as
the manuscript - Non-refundable entry fee of $30 (US funds).
-
Manuscripts must be uploaded no later than
January 15, 2021. -
Click below to link to our Submittable page or
go to Submittable.com
Postal Submissions should include:
- Typed manuscript on standard-sized paper, bound only with a clip or rubberband (no staples or permanent binding).
- Poetry manuscripts: approximately 50-110 pages, single spaced. Short fiction collections: approximately 125-300 pages, double spaced.
-
Two title pages within the manuscript:
a) title only (no author information)
b) title, author name, address, phone number, email - No additional identifying information should appear in the manuscript. Such information, including acknowledgments, will be removed prior to judging.
- Table of Contents within the manuscript
- SASE for notification regarding winner. (No manuscripts will be returned.)
- Non-refundable entry fee of $25 (US funds).
-
Manuscripts must be postmarked no later than
January 15, 2021.
Mail to:
John Ciardi Prize or G. S. Sharat Chandra Prize,
BkMk Press, 5101 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110
- No faxed or emailed submissions, please.
- Simultaneous and multiple submissions are acceptable. Please notify us of acceptance elsewhere.
- Current students and employees of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and current volunteer members of the New Letters and BkMk Press staffs, are not eligible.
- Manuscripts will not be returned. No refunds will be issued.
- Judging will be blind at all levels. Initial judging will be done by a network of published writers and editors. The final judging will be done by a poet and a fiction writer of national reputation. 2021 winners will be announced August, 2021 and the winning entries will be published in 2022. These competitions are held annually.
- BkMk Press supports the CLMP Code of Ethics for literary contests.