ALABAMA STATE POETRY SOCIETY 2026 FALL CONTESTS

 

1. ALABAMA STATE POETRY SOCIETY FALL CONTEST (Sponsored by ASPS)
*THIS CATEGORY IS OPEN TO PAID MEMBERS ONLY

$75, $50, $25, $10, and 3 Honorable Mentions in order of merit

Any form, Any subject, No line limit

 

 

2. POETRY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE (Sponsored by Mike Turner)

 

$50, $30, $20, and 2 Honorable Mentions.

 

Any form, Subject: “A republic - if you can keep it” (Benjamin Franklin), Line limit:  30

 

 

3.  THE BKC AWARD, in memory of Bettye K. Cannizzo (Sponsored by Jessica Temple)

 

$50, $30, $20, and Honorable Mentions at judge's discretion 

 

Any form, Subject: Travel, Line limit: 40

 

 

4.  THE FALL ON YOUR KNEES CONTEST (Sponsored by Emily Grimes-Henderson)

 

$50, $30, $ 20, and up to 3 Honorable Mentions.

 

Form: Free Verse, Subject: Write a poem about a situation, a person, or event that worked out so

well or blessed you to the point it made you want to fall on your knees and give thanks!

Line limit: 50

 

 

5. THE GORDON BROWN MEMORIAL AWARD (Sponsored by Kristi Ware)

 

$50, $25, $15, and Honorable Mentions at judge's discretion 

 

Form: Villanelle, Subject: Family, Line limit: as per form

 

 

6.  THE LILLIE WARE AWARD (Sponsored by Dargan Ware)

 

$50, $25, $15, and Honorable Mentions at judge's discretion

 

Any form, Subject: Horses, Line limit: 40

 

 

7.   THE PERSPECTIVE AWARD (Sponsored by Donna Geise)

 

$40, $30, $20, and 1 Honorable Mention

 

Any form, Subject: Windows, Line limit: 24

 

 

8. FALL FESTIVALS (Sponsored by Myra Ward)

 

$25, $15, $10, and Honorable Mentions at judge's discretion 

 

Any form, Subject: Fall Festivals, Line limit: 28

 

 

9. THE GRANDKIDS AWARD (Sponsored by Nancy LaChance)

 

$25. $15. $10. and 1honorable Mention

 

Form: Any rhyming humorous, Subject: Grandkids, Line limit: 24

 

 

10. THE KAREN EDWARDS, PENNY HARDESTY, PATRICIA LANE MEMORIAL AWARD

(Sponsored by Kirk and Jerri Hardesty)

 

$25, $15, $10 and 3 Honorable Mentions

 

Any form, Subject: Caring for others, Line limit: 40

 

 

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RULES!

(We gotta have rules, otherwise there is chaos.)

 

PLEASE READ RULES CAREFULLY AS SOME HAVE BEEN UPDATED. FAILURE TO FOLLOW RULES COULD RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION.

 

POSTMARK DEADLINE FOR ENTRY IS SEPTEMBER 5, 2026. 

 

ONLINE ENTRIES WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 12, 2026.

 

2. Entry Fees:

                        ASPS Members: $1 per poem.

                        Non-Members: $5 per poem.

 

            *No limit on number of poems whether member or non-member!*

 

3. More than one poem can be submitted in any category, but a poet may only win one award per category.

 

4. Sponsors may not enter any poem(s) in any category they are sponsoring.

 

5. Judges may not enter any poem(s) in any category they are judging.

 

6.  As per ASPS bylaws, the second vice president (contest chair) may not enter poems in any category.

 

7. The same poem may not be entered into more than one category.

 

8. Poems cannot have won a monetary award in a previous ASPS contest.

 

9. Poems cannot have been previously published, including online.

 

10. The line limit for each category is as stated in the contest. Line count does not include title and one blank line after title, but all other lines, including epigraph, all printed lines of poem, AND any blank lines within body of poem should be counted. When a fixed form poem is required by the category, line limit will allow for stanza breaks.

 

11. Please DO NOT DOUBLE SPACE POEMS, single space only, except for stanza breaks. We are very serious about this rule, please do not double space!

 

12. Please do not include any artwork with poems unless requested in category.

 

13. No poems will be published, but winners will be invited to read at the awards presentation.

 

14. Please do not mail submissions by any method that requires a signature.

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Submission Guidelines

 

By Mail:

 

Submit 2 copies of each poem on 8 ½ by 11 paper, using a plain font only.

 

On each copy, put category name and number in the upper left-hand corner.

 

On one copy only, put your name, address, e-mail, and “member” or “non-member” in the upper right-hand corner. (Address labels are acceptable.)

 

** Postmark deadline is September 5, 2026 **

 

Submissions should be mailed to:                  Jerri Hardesty, ASPS Contest Chair

1830 Marvel Rd.

Brierfield, AL 35035

 

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Online:

 

Entries can be submitted at alpoets.org until midnight on ** September 12, 2026. **

 

Create the documents as you would to mail, with two copies of each poem, each with category number and name in upper left, one copy with id in upper right and one without.

 

Please submit all entries together as a single .pdf file with poems in numerical order.

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Name your PDF file with your last name.first name (example: Dickinson.Emily.pdf)

 

 

*If you would like a copy of the winners list, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope directly to the contest chair or with mailed entry.

 

See our website at ALPoets.org for additional copies of this brochure and other information.

 

Questions? Complaints? Brilliant poetry-related thoughts? Email the contest chair at wytrabbit1@aol.com