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Opportunity for Poets: Poetry Contest at Enoch Pratt, Winner Published in Poet Lore

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Maryland poets, this contest is for you! The winning poem, to be announced in mid-April, will be published in Poet Lore and celebrated at a public reading hosted by the Pratt Library and Poet Lore. It may also be displayed at the Central Library or turned into a collectible broadside.

Contest Rules

  • Entrants must be Maryland residents, 18 or older.
  • Paid or volunteer staff of the Enoch Pratt Free Library and Poet Lore and their immediate families are not eligible, nor are previous Pratt Library Poetry Contest first-place winners.
  • Please send only one poem, on any theme and in any form, for consideration.
  • The poem must be your original work and must not include material generated by AI.
  • Your entry must be unpublished, either in print or online, including personal blogs, Facebook, Instagram, and X. It cannot be currently under review for possible publication.
  • Your entry must not exceed 100 lines.
  • Submit your typed entry as a Microsoft Word attachment (.doc or .docx) by email to [email protected], or by mail to:

    Poetry Contest, Fiction & Humanities Department
    Pratt Library, 400 Cathedral St.
    Baltimore, MD 21201-4484

  • All entries must be received by Sunday, March 1, 2026.
  • Please submit your name, address, phone number, and a brief biography on a separate page. Please do not put your name, address, phone number, or biography on the entry itself. Our judges will see only the poem.
  • Confirmation of receipt and comments on your entry will not be provided, nor will your entry be returned to you.

Learn More

Questions? Email [email protected] or call (410) 396-5484.

Interested in past winners? Check out the poems that won in previous years (PDF).

Help us spread the word! Print and share a Poetry Contest flyer (PDF).

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