Hollis Summers Poetry Prize

Congratulations to Han VanderHart, winner of the 2024 Hollis Summers Poetry Prize for Larks. Chanda Feldman selected the winner from a group of ten finalists.

We’re currently accepting submissions for the 2025 contest through December 31, 2024. Finalists and the winning manuscript will be announced in April 2025. The 2025 final judge will be Natalie Shapero.

About the Prize

Named for the distinguished poet who taught for many years at Ohio University and made Athens, Ohio, the subject of many of his poems, this competition invites writers to submit unpublished collections of original poems.

How to Submit

Submissions for the prize open on April 1 and close on December 31 each year at ohiouniversitypress.submittable.com. There is a $30 entry fee.

Format

Manuscripts of 60 to 95 pages should be set on standard sized paper. Name, address, and phone number should appear on the title page. If acknowledgments are included, they should appear on a separate page. Individual collections must be the work of a single author. Translations are not accepted. Manuscripts should be submitted in final form; revisions or emendations to acknowledgments will not be considered during the contest. Multiple submissions to other publishers are acceptable provided we are informed if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

Judging

The general editor is Sarah Green. The final judge for the 2025 competition will be Natalie Shapero. Individual criticism of manuscripts cannot be given. Former or current students, mentors, or close friends of the general editor or final judge are not eligible to submit.

Prize

The winning manuscript will be published by Ohio University Press the following year and will be awarded a cash prize of $1,000.