Poetry Society of Tennessee (PST) is excited to announce the line-up of our 68th Annual Poetry Festival Contests. We offer 21 contests, more than $1,500 in prizes, publication opportunities and a Best of Fest Award. The contests are made possible by PST and a host of sponsors and donors to whom we are most grateful. Contests explore a variety of themes and forms, several Tennessee-centered.

Prizes & Publication

More than $1,500 will be awarded in total. Individual prize amounts vary by contest. First place poems will be eligible for the “Best of Fest” award for the top poem of the festival. An outside judge will select the winning poem. The prize is $250.

First place poems will be published in Tennessee Voices Anthology, 2024-2025. In addition, poems by winners and finalists of the Tennessee Voices Contest will be published in the anthology. Other winning poems may be published at the discretion of the society. Poets whose poems are published will receive a complimentary copy of the anthology, as will sponsors and judges.

Contest winners will be announced at PST’s 68th Annual Poetry Festival to be held April 26, 2025.

Entry Fees and Submission Period

Submissions open October 1, 2024. Entries may be submitted by email or mail and must be submitted or postmarked by December 15, 2024.

For this year’s competition series, eligible poets may enter Board-sponsored Tennessee Voices and Play it Again Sam contests for a fee of $2 per entry. Poets may enter all other contests for which they are eligible (19 contests are open to anyone) for a single entry fee: $10 for members or $15 for non-members. The Double-Judge contest awards two sets of winners, for an extra chance to win prizes and be published.

Get More Information

Get more contest details here. Download a printer-friendly contest packet here.

About Tennessee Voices Anthology

Tennessee Voices Anthology is a publication of Poetry Society of Tennessee. It features winning poems from a year’s worth of contests and more. Get more information, including how to purchase anthology editions, here.