Winners and finalists of the 2024 Poetry Prize have been announced. View the winning submissions here.
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What does vibrancy mean to you? The surreal and immediate? Or, the subtle and enigmatic? Everyday, we encounter fleeting instances of truth and urge, and we want to establish them.
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Verdant is seeking poems on various themes, forms, and worlds. Give us unheard patterns, resonance—surreal notions on the outside world. The true, lush, vibrant. For the prize, Verdant welcomes poets of all ages, backgrounds, and margins. We want expressions from a variety of writers and unique experiences.
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To help craft your submission, we recommend you read the below testimonial, submission guidelines, and affiliated press.
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From the 2024 Contest Judge:
Dear writers,
Poetry is the primal word, the voice in the wilderness, the truth we must hear to believe. I believe small, independent journals are the lifeblood of the literary world, offering spaces for new voices and ancient truths, and it is therefore my pleasure to accept Verdant's invitation to judge their inaugural poetry prize. I hope I have a chance to read your words, especially if those words are informed by a deep love of craft, a passion for unflinching truth, and an understanding that beauty is that sacred place where form and freedom are almost one.
—Joseph Fasano
Submission Guidelines
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Please send submissions to verdantcontests@gmail.com with the subject line: [TITLE OF POEMS] - [FULL NAME]. To enter the prize, a fee of $5 (USD) is required. You may pay via PayPal through the portal below.
In order to encourage diversity and uplift marginalized artists, Verdant will waive the fee under special circumstances.
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Verdant highly encourages submissions from marginalized and young creatives.
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Please submit up to 3 unpublished original poems in a PDF file with a maximum of eight pages total, with each poem not exceeding four pages in length.
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No identifying information in the body of your attachment(s). The prize will be read blind.
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Simultaneous submission is accepted. Submissions published elsewhere must be notified immediately and drawn from consideration.
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No derogatory, AI, or erotic content.
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Poems must be in the English language; however, switching between languages is welcome. We are not accepting translations.
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For the prize, Verdant is open to a variety of styles and forms. However, we are not accepting hybrid, concrete, or found poetry.
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Verdant asks that your piece(s) are fully polished upon submission; do not contact us to edit your submission.
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Past contributors in Verdant are welcome to enter.
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Applicants may submit more than once; however will have to pay the contest fee of $5 (USD) per submission
Payment Details
In your submission, please include a receipt of payment in the body of the email with the following:
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(1) Full name associated with the transaction;
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(2) Email address associated with the transaction, and
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(3) 'Merchant Transaction ID' listed on the receipt sent to the email address from the transaction.
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You may follow-up with a receipt.
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If you are waiving the fee, please make it known. Submissions that do not include a receipt or a waived fee will be marked unread and deleted.
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For ultimate consideration, abide by regulations as specified in the contest judge testimonial, press, and by reading past editions.
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Prizes
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There will be one winner and two finalists. Prizes include: (1) a testimonial on the winning piece(s) from the contest judge; (2) Press with Verdant on the literary craft and; (3) Exclusive publication in Verdant as winners of the inaugural poetry prize.
Winners will be announced in mid-late August 2024 and will be published in Verdant in September 2024.
Note: Due to production delays, winners and finalists we be announced early November 2024.
Please allow for one-to-two months for a response. Please query after three months.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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Are international submissions welcome?
Yes. Verdant encourages submissions from writers of various backgrounds and experiences. However, we are not accepting translations.
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Is Verdant a paying market?
At present, Verdant is not a paying market. We are hoping that with your support, we are able to adequately compensate our contributors and editors. Consider donating. ​
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Who can waive the entry fee? Where will it go?
To accommodate those facing financial burden and encourage the diversity of the prize, Verdant will waive the entry fee. However, we will limit the waiver for the first twenty submissions.
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All funds will be re-invested into Verdant to branch into print and themed editions, merchandise, and paying and contributors and editors.
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If you have other questions that were not answered above, you are welcome to send a correspondence to verdantcontests [at] gmail [dot] com.
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The 2024 Contest Judge is Joseph Fasano:
Joseph Fasano is an internationally acclaimed poet, novelist, and teacher. His books of poetry include The Last Song of the World (BOA Editions, 2024), The Crossing (Cider Press Review, 2018), Vincent (CPR, 2015), Inheritance (CPR, 2014), and Fugue for Other Hands (CPR, 2013). His novels include The Swallows of Lunetto (Maudlin House, 2022) and The Dark Heart of Every Wild Thing (Platypus Press, 2022). His honors include the Cider Press Review Book Award, the Rattle Poetry Prize, and a nomination by Linda Pastan for the Poet's Prize, "awarded annually for the best book of verse published by a living American poet two years prior to the award year." His work—which has appeared in The Yale Review, The Southern Review, The Missouri Review, The Times Literary Supplement, Tin House, American Poets Magazine, and other publications—has been widely translated and anthologized, most recently in The Forward Book of Poetry (Faber and Faber). His book of educational/creativity tools, The Magic Words, was released by Penguin Random House/TarcherPerigee in 2024. He teaches at Manhattanville University in New York.
Submit Now
To enter the prize, follow the donation portal below. Please record the receipt of your transaction in your submission for consideration.
