Write! On Chicago Poetry Contest Opens March 1!
2026 Annual POETRY CONTEST
Opens June 1 — stay tuned for details!
Betsy Kollmeyer © 2022
Submission period:
March 1 – April 15, 2026
Electronic entries only
Entries must be received by
midnight CDT on April 15
Entry Fees:
• Members: Free to enter one poem; $6 to enter a second poem.
• Nonmembers: $16 to enter either one or two poems. (The cost of a P&P membership is $20 and comes with many benefits.)
Pay Entry fee below (when contest opens)
Poetry Contest Categories & Rules:
Click to view/download a complete list of categories and rules (PDF) ➞
Contest Rules, Submission Guidelines & details listed below ↓
Write! On Chicago
a Chicagoland Poetry Contest
Poets & Patrons is excited to announce the launch of a new poetry contest devoted to a theme that is close to our hearts: “Chicagoland.”
Poets are invited to submit up to two poems on any topic related to Chicagoland, from the city’s lakefront and Chicago sports to skyscrapers, art galleries, concert halls, politics, and many other Chicago-related subjects.
This Contest is open to members of Poets & Patrons and non-members.
The entry fee, and the cost for additional poems, is less for members, and you may become a member prior to submitting poems to receive the member rate. Members also receive a discount on submissions for the Chicago Poetry Contest that begins on June 1.
Write! On Chicago is sponsored by E.J. Wade Pushcart Nominee and Literary Editor of the Anthology of Appalachian Writers.
The Contest Judge: Richard Jones
Richard Jones’s poetry books include the recent Stranger on Earth (Copper Canyon Press) and Passport (Green Linden Press). His collected poems, The Blessing (Copper Canyon), won the Society of Midland Authors Award. Editor of the literary journal Poetry East, over the decades he has curated its many anthologies, such as The Last Believer in Words, Paris, Wider Than the Sky, and Bliss. He is Professor of English at DePaul University in Chicago
Awards & Prizes
• First prize: $50
• Second prize: $30
• Third prize: $20
• Three honorable mentions
Who Can Enter
Any poet who is currently living in the following Chicago-area counties may enter. Poets and Patrons members who once lived in one of these counties but have moved away may enter.
Illinois counties:
• Cook
• DeKalb
• DuPage
• Grundy
• Kane
• Kendall
• Lake
• McHenry
• Will
Indiana counties:
• Jasper
• Lake
• Newton
• Porter
Note: The county list above matches the Chicago metropolitan statistical area as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
To join Poets & Patrons visit our membership page ➞
Contest Rules & Submission Guidelines
Contest Rules
Poets can enter 1 or 2 poems. (See entry fees below.)
The poems must relate to “Chicagoland” in some way. All topics/themes are welcome. Poets do not have to include the word “Chicago” or “Chicagoland” in the poem, but the poem must relate in some way to the Chicago area.
Poems must be in English.
One award per poet. Poets can only win a single prize.
Line limit: 60 lines. This does not count the title or the space after the title. However, any epigraph, section numbers, and blank lines between stanzas will be counted.
Forms accepted. All written forms/styles of poems can be submitted (for example, haiku, sonnets, free verse) as long as the poems do not exceed the line limit.
Formatting Requests
File types accepted: Either a PDF or Word document.
If the poem incorporates a lot of indents or special formatting, it’s best to submit a PDF so we do not lose your formatting.
Please use an easily readable font, such as Arial, Aptos, Calibri, Helvetica, or Times New Roman.
Flush left the poem except for intended indents and other formatting.
Please do not include imagery or photographs. If you are submitting an ekphrastic poem, you can include the name of the artwork that the poem was inspired by, as well as the artist.
Entries must be original and unpublished. Submitted poems cannot have been published in a book/journal, have won an award in another contest, have been posted online or on social media, or be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Also, poems cannot be created with the help of any artificial intelligence applications.
Entry Fees
Poet & Patron members: Free to enter one poem; $6 to enter a second poem.
Nonmembers: $16 to enter either one or two poems. (The cost of a P&P membership is $20 and comes with many benefits.)
How To Enter
Poets submit their poems electronically using the poetry contest submission form (form link to come).
All entries must be received by midnight CDT, April 15, 2026. No late entries will be accepted.
Notes About Winners and Winning Poems
A list of winners’ names and their poem titles will be posted on the Poets & Patrons website after all winners have been notified.
All winning poets will be invited to participate in a reading. Date to be determined.
Winning poets retain all rights.
Winning poems will not be published.
Note About Judging
All judging is done anonymously; no judges are affiliated with Poets & Patrons. The decisions of judges are final.
Questions?
If you have any questions, email either poetsandpatrons@gmail.com or Maggie Kennedy, Contest Chair, at maggiev@ameritech.net.