Poetry Contests

Sonia Sanchez-Langston Hughes Poetry Contest (formerly Split This Rock Annual Poetry Contest)

Split This Rock’s annual poetry contest serves to raise the visibility and prestige of poetry of provocation and witness. Celebrating 13 years of award winning poems, the contest has been judged by Sonia Sanchez herself, Richard Blanco, Franny Choi, Rigoberto González, Natalie Diaz, Kyle Dargan, Mark Doty, Naomi Shihab Nye, Tim Seibles, Jan Beatty, Chris Abani, Patricia Smith, and Sheila Black.. There is a $20 reading fee to enter the contest which benefits Split This Rock, helping to sustain its work to bring poetry to the center of public life. To read past winning poems, visit the Past Annual Poetry Contests webpage. All past winning poems are also available in The Quarry.

Abortion Rights Contest

The Abortion Care Network (ACN), a national organization of independent abortion providers and prochoice supporters, and Split This Rock hosted an Abortion Rights Poetry Contest annually from 2012-2017 The contest was free to enter and open to poets from any part of the U.S. Visit the Abortion Rights Poetry Contest webpage for more information. To read the past winning poems, visit the Past Abortion Rights Poetry Contests webpage. All past winning poems are also available in The Quarry.

World & Me Youth Poetry Contest

This contest was open to all youth in elementary, middle, and high school, The World & Me Youth Poetry Contest invited youth to submit poetry on issues they care deeply about and that relate their lives to the world on a larger scale.