In 1994, the Academy was selected by the New Hope Foundation to administer the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize. Established in 1975, this $25,000 award recognizes the most outstanding book of poetry published in the United States in the previous year. Past recipients include Philip Levine, Sterling A. Brown, Adrienne Rich, Thom Gunn, W. S. Merwin, Marilyn Hacker, and Charles Wright. Submissions are accepted each year from March 15 to May 15.

The Judges for 2013 are Cornelius Eady, Claudia Emerson, and Gregory Orr.

The Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize honors the memory of Lenore Marshall (1897-1971), a poet, novelist, essayist, and political activist. She was the author of three novels, three books of poetry, a collection of short stories, and selections from her notebooks. Her work appeared in such distinguished literary magazines as The New Yorker, The Saturday Review, and Partisan Review. In 1956 she helped found the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy, the citizens' organization that lobbied successfully for passage of the 1963 partial nuclear test ban treaty.

Download an entry form.

Please Note: Books must be submitted in the year after their publication, which means that books published in 2012 may be submitted for consideration until May 15, 2013.

• The 2013 contest is open to any book of original poetry, in English, published in the United States during 2012 in a standard edition by a living American citizen. A standard edition is 40 pages or more in length and 500 or more copies.
• Self-published books are not eligible.
• Publishers may submit as many titles as they wish. The publisher should send four copies of each book to the Academy, postmarked between March 15 and May 15, 2013.
• A $25 entry fee and entry form are required for each title submitted.
• The winner will be announced in September.
• The Academy of American Poets will award the winning poet $25,000.

Please send four copies of each entry to:

The Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
The Academy of American Poets
75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901
New York, NY 10038.

Books will not be returned.

For more information, please contact:

Patricia Guzman
Programs Assistant
awards@poets.org
TEL (212) 274-0343 x13

Download an entry form.