SFPA Poetry Contest

Other SF Poetry Contests & Awards 2024 winning poems! here

Our contest is intended to raise funds for SFPA, as well as to draw more attention to speculative poetry and reward writers of good speculative poems. An eligibility survey was taken following the 2015 contest.

Contest Update:

The 2024 Contest winners have now been announced. Congratulations to the winners!

The 2025 SFPA Speculative Poetry Contest will open for entries on June 1, 2025. The deadline will be August 31.

Contest Rules: The SFPA speculative poetry contest is open to all poets, including non-SFPA-members. Prizes will be awarded for best unpublished poem in 3 categories: Dwarf (poems 1–10 lines [prose poems 0–100 words]); Short (11–49 lines [prose poems 101–499 words]); Long (50 lines and more [prose 500 words and up]). Line count does not include title or stanza breaks. All sub-genres of speculative poetry allowed in any form. Entries are read blind; friends/family/students of the judge may not enter.

Prizes: In each category (Dwarf, Short, Long): $150 First Prize, $75 Second Prize, $25 Third Prize. Publication on the SFPA website for first through third places.

2025 Judge: TBA

2025 Contest Chair: TBA

Submission guidelines:

• The 2025 contest will open June 1. The deadline will be August 31. A submission link will be provided below when the contest is open.
• Unpublished poems only. Per SFPA's Statement on AI, the submission of AI generated poetry is prohibited.
• Author retains all rights, except that first through third place winners will be published on our website.
• Enter as many poems as you like, but an entry fee of $3 per poem must be paid via PayPal at entry (credit card can be used without a PayPal account, and those unable to use PayPal may mail a check). Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but must be immediately withdrawn if accepted elsewhere.
• Entries will be read anonymously. Please do not include any identifying information in the file (file name can be anything); enter your name only in the form. The form can take a submission with multiple poems in the same category (dwarf, short, or long). Use a separate documents to submit poems from different categories. .rtf preferred.

Confirmation of receipt of your submission should follow within 3 days.
Announcement of winners will be posted on the SFPA website.