Poetry Contest

Submissions are accepted from September 15 to December 15, 2011. See complete contest rules below. Winners of the Wisconsin People & Ideas/Wisconsin Book Festival 2012 Poetry Contest receive cash awards of $500 (first place, the John Lehman Poetry Award), $100 (second place), and $50 (third place). Winning poems by the top three winners—along with another poem selected by John Lehman—appear in the print and online spring 2012 issue of Wisconsin People & Ideas, with the ten runners-up in the summer and fall 2012 editions. The first-prize poet also receives a three-hour CD recording/editing session at Abella Studios.

Every year this contest brings out the best of Wisconsin poets—both amateur and professional—and places a spotlight on one of our state's finest cultural resources. We'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that Wisconsin People & Ideas is the only quarterly magazine in the state that regularly highlights Wisconsin poets and poetry along with fiction and articles by and about Wisconsinites who make our state great. It's through submissions to our annual contest and your membership in the Wisconsin Academy that we can continue to fund this magazine. If you haven't already, please begin your subscription to Wisconsin People & Ideas by becoming a member of the Wisconsin Academy. As a member, you'll also receive a 20% discount on your submissions to the poetry contest in addition to four issues of the magazine of contemporary Wisconsin thought and culture as well as access to great Wisconsin Academy arts and cultural events across the state.

This year the poetry contest lead judge is Milwaukee poet laureate Susan Firer (left). The 2012 contest is coordinated by John Lehman, literary editor, Wisconsin People & Ideas, and features as preliminary poetry judges:

• Marilyn Annucci - Madison
• Andy Gricevich - Madison
• Karla Huston - Appleton

All judging is done blindly and ranking is done solely on the merit of individual poems. Thank you to our lead and preliminary judges for volunteering their time and efforts to the 2012 contest.

POETRY CONTEST RULES

Questions about the poetry contest should be sent via e-mail to John Lehman, literary editor, Wisconsin People & Ideas.

1. Poets must reside or attend school in Wisconsin.
2. Poets may submit up to three poems per entry. No poem may be longer than one page.
3. Each entry must be accompanied by an entry fee of $10 (non-Academy members) or $8 (Academy members, including those who join while submitting an entry), payable to the Wisconsin People & Ideas Poetry Contest.
4. A poet may enter more than one submission of up to three poems each, but additional submissions must be accompanied by a separate entry fee and cover letter. (See Rule 7.)
5. Contest deadline is December 15, 2011. Entries may be hand-delivered to the Wisconsin Academy (1922 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53726) by 5:00 pm on December 15, 2011. Entries postmarked after the deadline will not be considered and the entry fee will be retained to cover handling.
6. Previously published poems (in print) are not eligible. All work must be original. Any style or theme is welcome.
7. The poet's name or address may not appear anywhere on the poems. Poems must be accompanied by a cover letter bearing the poem title/s, the poet's name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address (if available).
8. Keep a copy of your poems. Entries will be recycled, not returned. Do not send an SASE.
9. Contest winners will be announced on www.wisconsinacademy.org and notified by March 2012. Top three winners will be published in the print and online spring 2012 issue of Wisconsin People & Ideas, which appears in April, National Poetry Month, 2012. Ten runners-up will be published in the summer and fall 2012 issues of the magazine.