The RCAH Center for Poetry at Michigan State University, in cooperation with the MSU Press, announces reading dates annually for the Wheelbarrow Books (established) Poetry Prize. The winner will receive $1,000 and publication within two years of selection under the Wheelbarrow Books imprint. The submission period is from mid-August through October 1. The final judge for the 2021 (Established) Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize will be announced in August 2026. 

Eligibility

• Manuscripts are eligible for the Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize (Established) if the author has published at least one full-length collection of original poetry in English (of 48 pages or more with a press run of at least 500 copies). This competition is not open to first books. Translations are not eligible.
• Current faculty, staff, and students of Michigan State University are not eligible to submit their work.
• Multiple submissions are welcome and simultaneous submissions are acceptable (please inform us if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere).
• The RCAH Center for Poetry at MSU reserves the right to consider all entrants for publication; a list of winners and finalists will be posted on the Center for Poetry website in early February after the winning author is notified.
• Publication is contingent upon the poet’s agreeing to the terms of the publishing agreement.

Guidelines

• Manuscripts must be in English and a minimum 64 pages, typed in a 12-point font.
• Manuscripts must be submitted as a PDF file.
• Submitted poems may have appeared previously in journals, anthologies, or chapbooks, but the collection as a whole must be previously unpublished.
• Include the nonrefundable reading fee of $25 with your submission. Submissions received without this fee will not be accepted or considered.