The English department is pleased to announce the 2024 Academy of American Poets Prize contest, which is open to all registered Cal Poly students, regardless of major.
This year’s contest will be judged by acclaimed poet Helena Mesa. The winning poet will receive a $100 first prize and a chance to win the $1,000 Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Most Promising Young Poet Award, which is given annually by the Academy.
The judge will also select two honorable mentions.
You can find submission guidelines below and on the English department website.
About the Judge
Helena Mesa is the author of Where Land Is Indistinguishable from Sea (Terrapin Books) and Horse Dance Underwater (Cleveland State University Poetry Center). She is also a co-editor for Mentor & Muse: Essays from Poets to Poets (Southern Illinois University Press), an anthology of essays that examines poetic techniques. A Cuban American born and raised in Pittsburgh, Mesa is a Professor at Albion College and lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Guidelines
- Must be currently registered at Cal Poly to enter
- Submit up to three poems
- Include all poems in a single PDF, labeled with your last name only
- Do NOT include any identifying information in the file (contest will be judged blind)
- Send via email to the English Department at english@calpoly.edu; write “Academy of American Poets contest” in the subject line
- Deadline: Wednesday, May 15, at 5:00pm
