Contests

All submissions must be received through our Submittable page via Workhorse.

• The KSPS Grand Prix Poetry Contest is open to any US poet writing in English, age 18+
• Poems may be any topic, any form 
• Each poem must be 30 lines or fewer, including titles, spaces, and stanza breaks
• 1-3 poems per submission. Poems must be in one document; only one poem per page.
• $10 submission fee for each entry (1-3 poems)
• KSPS members may submit to both the Grand Prix and the Chaffin/Kash contests (separate entry fees)
• Poems must be the original, unpublished work of the entrant; no AI submissions
• Each poem must be titled or numbered
• Do not include your name or any identifying information on the poem(s)
• Please withdraw poems via Submittable if they are published elsewhere before the contest deadline. Use the “Withdraw” function or the “Message” function to withdraw single poems from a submission packet.
• Deadline is July 31, 2026, 11:59 pm ET
• Winners are announced in September and are invited to read at the KSPS annual conference 
• Winners are published in the KSPS literary journal Pegasus

Prizes 

• 1st Place: $100
• 2nd Place: $50
• 3rd Place: $25

Judge: LeTonia Jones

LeTonia Jones is the author of Black Girl at the Intersection, a collection of poetry that explores survival, resilience, and love. She lives in Lexington, KY and is the co-founder of Bloodroot Ink where she co-facilitates an international writing circle for BIPOC womxn and femmes focused on truth-telling that roots and heals.

All submissions must be received through our Submittable page via Workhorse.

Guidelines 

• The KSPS Chaffin/Kash Contest is open only to members of the Kentucky State Poetry Society (see KSPS website for membership information)
• Poems may be any topic, any form 
• Each poem must be 30 lines or fewer, including titles, spaces, and stanza breaks
• 1-3 poems per submission. Poems must be in one document; only one poem per page
• $10 submission fee for each entry (1-3 poems)
• KSPS members may submit to both contests
• Poems must be the original, unpublished work of the entrant; no AI submissions
• Poems must be titled or numbered
• Do not include your name or any identifying information on the poem(s)
• Please withdraw poems via Submittable if they are published elsewhere before the contest deadline. Use the “Withdraw” function or the “Message” function to withdraw single poems from a submission packet.
• Deadline is July 31, 2024, 11:59 pm ET
• Winners are announced in September and are invited to read at the KSPS annual conference 
• Winners are published in the KSPS literary journal Pegasus

Prizes 

• 1st Place: $100
• 2nd Place: $50
• 3rd Place: $25

Judge: Marianne Worthington 

Marianne Worthington is an educator, poet, and editor. She is author of The Girl Singer (University Press of Kentucky, 2021), winner of the 2021 Weatherford Award for Poetry, and the forthcoming poetry collection Water. Witness. Word. from Belle Point Press (2026). Her work has appeared in Oxford American, CALYX, Salvation South, Zone 3, and Southern Humanities Review, among other places. She cofounded and was poetry editor of Still: The Journal, an online literary magazine publishing writers, artists, and musicians with ties to Appalachia (2009-2024). Her work has been supported by Kentucky Arts Council, Kentucky Foundation for Women, and the Berea College Appalachian Sound Archives Fellowship. She grew up in East Tennessee, and lives, writes, and teaches in Southeastern Kentucky.

Submission Format:
Submissions should be in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format. Each submission must include a cover page with the following information:

• Student Name / Age / Grade / School / Email
• Teacher Name / Email
• Parent/Guardian Name / Email / Mailing Address

Submission Limit:
Up to 5 poems can be submitted per document. Each poem should begin on a new page. All submissions must be unpublished, original work.

Submission Email:
studentcontestksps@gmail.com

Deadline:
All submissions must be received by May 18.

Prizes:

• 1st Place: $75
• 2nd Place: $50
• 3rd Place: $25

Prizes will be awarded in the following grade categories:

• 3-5
• 6-8
• 9-10
• 11-12