POETRY INTERNATIONAL is one of the oldest and most respected literary journals dedicated to publishing poetry from around the globe. Each issue of the print journal brings together poems, portfolios, and prose representing a rich diversity of countries and languages.
In addition to the print journal, PIOnline also features global conversations about books, poetry, and poetics and an archive of international poets and poems.
PI runs contests throughout the year for poems, chapbooks, broadsides, and more. Please review the guidelines for each contest prior to submitting. See below for submissions that are currently open.
We ask for your patience as we read your work. It may take us up to six months or more. Please know that each entry is carefully considered. Please do not query.
By submitting to Poetry International, submitters agree to receive correspondence about future work and submission opportunities from PI. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Poetry International prides itself on featuring chapbooks (or “portfolios”) both in English and in translation. We have featured Jane Hirshfield, Carolyn Forché, Jacquelyn Pope, Christian Wiman, Amy Gerstler, Bob Hicok, and new translations of Anna Swir, Osip Mandelstam, Yannis Ritsos, Tomaz Salamun, and René Char. We would be delighted to have the opportunity to include your name in this list! We are looking for chapbooks with consistently strong poems----poems that speak to one another lyrically and thematically.
A review of the finalists and winners from recent competitions has revealed that the strongest chapbooks are typically the shortest; because of that we have changed the page limit and invite you to send a gathering of your strongest work to be considered for Poetry International's Tiny Chapbook Competition. Winning chapbooks will be announced on our websites and on social media and published as portfolios.
The Prize: Publication in Poetry International
Reading Period: June 1-September 1, 2024
Reading Fee: $20
Guidelines:
- Work must be previously unpublished as a whole (individual poem publication is okay).
- Simultaneous submissions are okay as long as you inform us immediately if the chapbook has been accepted for publication elsewhere.
- All individual poems will be considered for publication.
- Manuscripts can be anywhere from 8-16 page pages in length.
- Collaborations and translations are welcome as long as the submitting author has the rights to the work. For translations, please send only the English version.
- Please include a cover letter with the following information: Your name, phone number, and email address.
- All chapbooks should have a separate title page and should not contain any identifying information.
- NOTE: Your submission title & the name of the document you attach should be your chapbook title.
- Any correspondence regarding your submission or other questions should be sent to our email address at poetryintl@gmail.com
No current or former staff of Poetry International or recent graduates of San Diego State University are eligible to apply.
Dispatches are articles, reports, or essays on a wide variety of topics related to poetry, poets, and poetics. A Dispatch may be one poet sharing the work or a personal memory of another, such as "The Assignment," or “In Praise of Adam Zagajewski.” Or, it could be a report on how poetry is coming alive in the world and responding to global and local issues, such as “Poetry and Plastics.” Or, it could be something else entirely. We are excited to hear your ideas.
Queries should include:
1. A brief biographical statement, including a publishing history as well as any information about your personal or professional background, experience, and education that may be pertinent.
2. A description of no more than 250 words of the Dispatch you propose. (You may propose up to three) including the topic you propose addressing, why it is of interest, and any background information and details on the topic that might be significant, for example, your relationship to the topic/poet, etc.
3. (optional) Links to one or two relevant writing samples.
Book Reviews
While most of the reviews we publish are solicited by our editors, we are also looking for reviews from outside reviewers. In particular, we are looking for reviews that bring fresh voices and perspectives to our readers, either by examining the work of emerging authors or offering new takes on established poets. We mostly publish reviews of full-length books of poetry but will consider reviews of books on craft, translation, criticism, or on role poetry plays in our lives.
As an international journal, we are actively seeking reviews of translations or of poets from other countries who write in English.
We are also interested in publishing book review essays. These are longer form essays that discuss multiple titles in the service of exploring a trend or theme.
Note: you may submit either a query in which you briefly describe the book(s) you would like to review and why, or a completed book review. For the completed book review, please follow the guidelines below:
Author Guidelines
1. Please include the full title of the book, publisher, price, and number of pages with your review.
2. Please be ready, should we decide to publish your review, to provide us with high-resolution cover art. This can often be obtained from the publisher. We cannot publish screenshots.
3. Length. Reviews should be between 750-2,000 words.
4. All submissions should be double-spaced.
5. Choice of book to review. Books should be either no more than one year past their publication date or the review should make it clear early on what “occasions” the review. Why this book? Why now? Why should the reader be interested? Perhaps there is a story about how you came to read the book. Perhaps it would be useful to point to recent events in the news or the current cultural and political backdrop. Maybe there is an event the poet will be participating in or an honor they have just received.
6. Voice and style. We aim to reach readers from a wide variety of backgrounds who are interested in poetry. Please aim to write in clear, direct prose and in a voice that includes and engages the reader. If you would like, feel free to use a conversational tone and to integrate personal information where it might be relevant and help the reader gain insight into the work and into your perspective on the work.
7. Title & subtitle of review. Please suggest a title for the review and possible subtitle. (Note: Final titles are our decision.)
Note: All submissions will be reviewed by our editors, and we may suggest changes or ask for revisions.