Summer 2026 Poetry International Tiny Chapbook Competition
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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, 2026 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- Work must be previously unpublished as a whole (individual poem publication is okay).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.