2024 Calanthe Collective Prize for Unpublished Poetry

Calanthe Poetry is delighted to announce the Calanthe Collective Prize for Unpublished Poetry.  The prize was initiated in 2022.  In 2024 it is sponsored by Jena Woodhouse (U18 category), along with anonymous supporters, and in association with Calanthe Poetry.

This competition is designed to encourage aspiring and current poets in two categories: Under 18, restricted to high school aged people; and the Open category, which is restricted to poets who are yet to have a book or chapbook published, either commercially or by self-publication, by March 31, 2024.  Calanthe Poetry is looking for exceptional poems on any theme in both categories.

The winning poem in the Under 18 category will receive $350, with two $100 prizes for Highly Commended entries, and in the Open category $1000, with three Highly Commended prizes of $250.  All amounts are in Australian Dollars.  The winners in each category, together with Highly Commended entrants, will have their poems published on the Calanthe Press website, www.calanthepress.com.au. 

Entrants may submit up to a maximum of three individual poems.

There will be an ENTRY FEE of AUD $10 for each individual Open entry.  U18 entries are free.  Payment may be made by Bank Transfer to:

             Calanthe Collective Suncorp Bank

            BSB                                       484799

            Account No.                         120925314

Please use your NAME as a reference on the bank transfer. If submitting more than one poem, fees may be deposited together, eg, three entries can be deposited as AUD $30

For International payments for the Open Category, please contact calanthepoets@gmail.com

Conditions

Any individual poems published previously in a commercial anthology may not be submitted

Each poem must not exceed 50 lines

No additional edits will be allowed to the poems once they have been submitted

Process

We ask that poems are submitted as Microsoft Word documents

Each poem must be submitted as a separate entry in separate Word files, with the category clearly nominated (Under 18 or Open).  Multiple entries in one Word document will not be accepted

Do not include any identifying information (name, emails etc) within your submitted document.  We read all work blind and failure to follow this rule will result in a rejected and unread submission

Submissions should be sent to calanthepoets@gmail.com with a covering email that may include a biography, but these are not read by judges and have no place in our selection process

Receipts will be sent for each entry and its payment

All entries which do not adhere to the above will be disqualified

-        Submissions are open from January 1 to March 31 2024

-        No entries will be accepted after March 31 2024

-        Short-listed poets will be advised by 17 May 2024.  Unsuccessful entrants will not be contacted

-        Winners will be advised by May 31 2024

-        Announcement of the Winner in each category and the Highly Commended poems will be on Sunday June 16 2024 at the Calanthe Poetry Winter Garden Party on Tamborine Mountain with the poets presenting their winning poems

-        Winning poems and Highly Commended entries will be published on the Calanthe Press website      www.calanthepress.com.au    

Disclaimers:  Please note that we will never accept content that would be considered offensive to marginalised groups