International Poetry Competition March 2026
“Horizon”
Enter for the chance to win $100!
Welcome to our first international poetry competition of 2026! We’re looking for all kinds of poetry on the theme of Horizon. As always, we encourage you to bend the rules with both content and form.
Deadline for entry: June 30th 2026
● There will be one prize winner. The winning poet will receive a prize of $100 (USD), plus publication of their poem as a standalone piece on Free the Verse. Payment will be made via PayPal.
● The entry fee is $3.49, and you may submit 1 poem per entry. Multiple entries are permitted. All fees are used to cover our operating costs.
● All entries must be original work that is owned by the entrant. We accept poems which have previously been published, and simultaneous submissions are permitted. We do not accept poems previously published in our magazine, Free the Verse.
● The winning poet will be notified by email within 2 months of the competition closing.
● You will retain the copyright to your work. By entering the competition, you grant Free the Verse the right to publish your poem and name on our website and in any associated marketing materials.
● This is an international competition – however, at this time, we only accept poems written in English. You are welcome to include words and phrases from other languages.
● You must be over 18 years old to submit.
Frequently asked questions
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Our 2026 competition theme is ‘Horizon’. We welcome diverse interpretations – the theme is intentionally broad.
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The winning poet will receive $100 (USD), and their poem will be published as a standalone piece on Free the Verse. You can check out our previous winner’s work below.
The prize money will be sent via PayPal. -
The winning poet will be notified by email within 2 months of the competition closing – so the winner will receive the email by August 31st, 2026. We only publish the winning poem once the prize payment has been sent.
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Yes, multiple entries are permitted. You may submit 1 poem per entry with the required entry fee for each.
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The deadline for entry is June 30th, 2026. We leave the entry form open until the next day to account for differences in time zone. You are welcome to submit as long as the form is present.
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Yes, we accept poems that have been previously published, except those published in our own magazine.
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This is an international competition open to anyone over 18 years old. The majority of the poem (but not all of it) must be written in English.
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We currently accept payment by Debit / Credit card from Via and Mastercard and Apple Pay. We are working towards accepting payment via Paypal but unfortunately cannot accept it for entry fees at this point.
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No – we’re open to any length or format. If you are having difficulty correctly formatting your poem in the submission form, you may submit the form with a note stating this in place of your poem, and email your poem to us via our contact form. If you are uncertain, don’t hesitate to reach out via email.
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Honourable mentions will be listed on our website and in our communications with readers.
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The best way to stay informed is to sign up to our newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram, Threads and Twitter.
Poetry contest winners
Eating Cats and Dogs — Kesper Wang
I look at my cat and wonder
If I’d eat him in case of some apocalyptic event, or if he’d eat me
Read more ➜
Safety First — Ping Yi Yee
Patent No. US3071856A protects the Safety Razor, property of one Irwin W. Fischbein of 18 Joyce Road, Hyde Park, Massachusetts.
Read more ➜
After Rain — Madison Bertenshaw
I taste currents. Creosote, mud, agave, caliche, spines, javelina shit. You stab me like a cactus collecting the desert.
Read more ➜
Anton in Summer — Natalie Susak
In class I learn the word for summer: ljeto. This summer: ljetos. This summer figs fall from trees
Read more ➜
Aunty Nor — Farrah Lucia Jamaluddin
“If you are not a little bad from time to time
how can you learn to be a little good?”
Read more ➜
A Wake — Keri Withington
I took the lake road home from the neurologist’s office.
It’s pretty
and I can’t
deal with traffic