Literary Contests & Awards
The Poetry Center annually sponsors three literary contests and awards prizes for each.
For complete information on the winners of these contests and awards, see our NEWS page.
The Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award and the Paterson Literary Review will be transitioning in September 2025 to submissions only using SUBMITTABLE.
Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards
Honoring Allen Ginsberg’s contribution to American literature and his Paterson upbringing, this annual poetry competition awards the first prize of $2000, the second prize of $1000, and the third prize of $500 for a single poem.
Up to five unpublished poems per person will be accepted for consideration.
Each poem should be no longer than two manuscript pages.
Pages with poems should not include the poet’s name. A separate cover sheet will list the poet’s name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, and poem titles.
Please do not submit poems that imitate Allen Ginsberg’s work.
A fee of $20.00 must accompany your submission.
The submission period is October 1 - February 1 (11:59 ET)
Poems by the Winners, Honorable Mentions, and Editor's Choice recipients are included in the Paterson Literary Review (PLR), and the poets are invited to read at The Poetry Center in historic downtown Paterson.
Winners will be announced in spring 2026 on this website and through your Submittable account.
For examples of poems that have previously won and those that have been included in PLR, consider reading a back issue or looking at a few featured poems online.
2025 Winners and Honorable Mentions (PDF)
Press releases for winners from previous years can be found in our news section.
*NOTE* Poetry, fiction, and prose submissions for the Paterson Literary Review are accepted from June 1 through September 30.
Paterson Poetry Prize
The Paterson Poetry Prize is sponsored by The Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College. It is a $2000 award for a book of poems, 48 pages or more in length, selected by our judges as the strongest collection of poems published in the previous year. The winning poet will be eligible for the monetary prize only if he/she/they participate in a reading at the Poetry Center in Paterson, NJ, or virtually.
Contest Rules
Each book submitted must be accompanied by an application form.
Publishers and authors may submit books for prize consideration.
Two copies of each book should be sent to The Poetry Center.
Books entered in the competition cannot be returned and will be donated.
Books must be postmarked by February 1, 2026, to be considered for the prize.
A public announcement of winners will be made on this website in spring 2026.
Rules and Application for the 2026 Prize (PDF)
2025 Prize Winners (PDF)
Press releases for winning books from previous years can be found in our news section.
The Paterson Prize for Books for Young People
In each category, one or more books will be selected, which in the opinion of our judges, are the most outstanding books for young people published in the previous year. There is a $1000 award in each of three categories: Pre-K - Grade 3; Grades 4 - 6; Grades 7 - 12.
Contest Guidelines
1. Each book submitted must be accompanied by an application form.
2. Publisher/author may submit more than one book for prize consideration.
3. Three copies of each book should be sent to the address on the application.
4. Books entered in the contest cannot be returned and will be donated.
5. Submission deadline: February 1, 2024 (postmarked) for the 2025 award.
6. Announcements of winners will be placed on this website in spring 2025.