
results of the 2020 poetry prize
WINNERS
For the second year in a row, we have a tie:
Winner (tie): The Whispering Wall by Lissa Kiernan
The Whispering Wall explores dimensions unseen but keenly felt. The speaker chronicles her move from an urbal to a rural setting in the midst of menopause and grief, over both the passing of a beloved and charismatic gay father, and the peak of her sexuality and ability of conceive.
Winner (tie): Long Shadows of Practice by Beth Jacobs
About the Book: Long Shadows of Practice is about the intersection of repetition and progress. What is done over and over silhouettes what is novel and surprising. These poems are rooted in meditation and writing practices, and blossom in the light of human experience. They lyrically describe perception and activity moving in many layers of reality. Long Shadows of Practice is philosophical yet felt, quiet and funny, fantastical and full of heart. It lands lightly with hope in the possibilities of connections. | FORTHCOMING APRIL 2021 from Homebound Publications | Pre-order Here>>
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Soul Sandals: Field Notes from the Exozoic by Omar Zubaedi
Low Tide Book by Tara K. Shepersky
Emigrant from an Imagined Country by James Wyshynski
The Blue Jay’s Call by Jenifer Cartland
Poems of Earth by Dónal Ó Céilleachair
how to submit
The 2021 Poetry Prize is now open!
Details about the 2021 Poetry Prize
Deadline for entries is May 31st, 2021. On July 30, 2021 we will announce one winner from the entries as well as a finalist and honorable mentions. The winning manuscript will be published by Homebound Publications in April 2022. While there is no cash prize at this time, the winning author will be offered a generous royalty contract. The winning author/book will also receive a feature spread in Homebound Publication’s biannual magazine, The Wayfarer.
The winner and a selection of finalist(s) will be published in paperback and eBook formats. Our books are distributed through Publisher’s Group West, a division of Ingram, and are available through wholesale outlets such as Baker & Taylor as well as retail outlets such as Amazon, B&N, Target, and indie bookstores across the country.
To enter, submit a manuscript between 48-75 pages in length (front and back matter are not included in page count) by May 31st, 2021. The entry fee is $25.00.
The editorial staff at Homebound Publications will judge the contest. The contest is not judged blind.
All entries will be considered for publication. We routinely publish manuscripts that are chosen for honorable mentions.
Entry Guidelines & Eligibility
- To enter, the poetry collection must be previously unpublished.
- A limited number of individual poems may have appeared in print or online but the poet must hold sole rights to the work.
- Only authors who currently reside in the United States of America may enter.
- Manuscripts must be in English.
- Multiple entries by a single author are welcome but a separate entry forms and fees must be paid for each entry.
- The manuscript must be no less than 48 and no more than 75 pages in length.
- Deadline for Entries is May 31st, 2021. The winner will be notified privately of their win by July 15, 2021.
- Employees and authors of Homebound Publications and its divisions are not eligible.
Entry by Post Mail
(Editor’s Note: While we are aware of the extra packaging required when sending via post, at this time we prefer entrants to send their submissions to us via USPS. When we complete our review of your materials, all packaging materials and paper is recycled.)
For those of you entering by post mail please include the following in your entry:
- The full manuscript
- A brief biographical statement
- Check made payable to: Homebound Publications
- Self-address stamped postcard (Should you desire confirmation of receipt of your entry.)
Post entries should be send to:
Homebound Publications
Attn: Poetry Prize
PO Box 1442, Pawcatuck, CT 06379 – 1968
[Please note:] Manuscripts submitted to the contest via post mail will not be returned. Please do not send us the original copy of your manuscript.
Entering Online
To enter online, you may submit your manuscript and payment via our secure submission platform here: Submit
- Please send us the full manuscript
- Brief biographical statement
- You will be able to pay the $25.00 entry fee via Submittable’s platform.
Past Winners

Gary Whited
Winner 2013

Amy Nawrocki
Finalist 2013

Walker Abel
Winner 2014

Audrey Henderson
Finalist 2014

Andrew Jarvis
Finalist 2014

Linda Flaherty Haltmaier
Winner 2015

James Scott Smith
Finalist 2015

Dede Cummings
Winner 2016

Ellen Grace O'Brian
Finalist 2016

Frank LaRue Owen
Winner 2017

Burt Bradley
Winner 2018

michael Garrigan
Winner 2019

Quinn Bailey
Winner 2019