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Competitions 15 days left

Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest 2026

Online English 16–35

Overview

The Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest is a prestigious international literary competition hosted by Winning Writers, designed to celebrate excellence in both traditional and contemporary verse. The contest is split into two distinct categories: the Tom Howard Prize, which favors poems with a strong narrative or philosophical core, and the Margaret Reid Prize, which highlights poems that utilize traditional forms such as sonnets, villanelles, or haiku. With a history of recognizing diverse voices, the competition serves as a significant platform for poets to gain professional exposure and critical acclaim within the global literary community. Winners are selected through a rigorous blind-judging process, ensuring that the quality of the craft remains the sole focus of the evaluation.

Key Details

  • →The contest is divided into two categories: one for traditional verse and one for free verse/narrative poetry.
  • →Winning Writers has been consistently ranked among the '101 Best Websites for Writers' by Writer's Digest.
  • →The judging process is strictly anonymous to ensure impartiality and focus on the poem's merit.
  • →The competition is open to international participants, provided the submission is written in English.
  • →The deadline is October 1st, 2026, with winners typically announced in the following calendar year.

Application Tips

  • •Significant cash prizes provide financial support for further creative endeavors and professional development.
  • •Winning or placing in this contest serves as a high-value credential for a writer's CV or literary portfolio.
  • •Publication on the Winning Writers website provides global visibility to editors, publishers, and literary agents.
  • •The two-year Duotrope subscription offers essential tools for tracking submissions and finding future publication venues.
  • •Exposure to a reputable judging panel helps poets benchmark their work against international standards of excellence.
  • •Joining the community of past winners provides networking opportunities within the professional poetry circuit.

Eligibility & Requirements

  • •Participants must be at least 25 years of age at the time of submission.
  • •Submissions must be original, unpublished work (or work that has not won a major cash prize previously).
  • •Poems must be written in English; translations are accepted if the entrant holds the rights to the translation.
  • •A submission fee is typically required per poem, which covers the administrative and judging costs.
  • •Entries must be submitted via the official online portal in standard document formats (e.g., .doc, .docx, .pdf).
  • •Poets must ensure their contact information is removed from the manuscript to maintain anonymity during the blind-judging phase.