We are seeking poems which speak to some aspect of the relationship between "nature & humankind." We eschew work which is ungrammatical, trite, doggerel, mawkish, uninteresting, boring, benumbed, or pretentious. We are highly interested in nature poetry which is incisive, sharable, risky, and current. Verbal richness is great, as is resourcefulness in making use of scientific knowledge, formal innovation, and multimodal possibilities. 

Sonnets about backyard birding should be so excellent as to justify the poet's disinterest in e.g. ecological disruption, climate crisis,  or species loss. 

We are especially keen to hear from writers who can help us improve the diversity and intersectionality of our contributors list.

We read submissions on an ongoing basis. 

Please note that poems submitted without an awards fee will not be considered for either the Acadia Poetry Prize (announced with the winter issue) or the Aspen Poetry Prize (announced with the summer issue). To be considered for those  competitions, please see the submission category labeled "Poetry Submissions for Prize Consideration."

The editors of Hawk & Whippoorwill run two poetry prize competitions for poems appearing in our print journal. 

The ACADIA POETRY PRIZE is awarded to a poem which most fully realizes the possibilities of poetic form as a channel for artistic responses to the theme of "nature & humankind." Prize-winning poems exemplify the precept that in successful poetry, "every force evolves a form." The prize-winning poem is selected from poems published in either the summer or winter issue of the current year. The first Acadia Poetry Prize will be announced in Winter 2019. 

The ASPEN POETRY PRIZE is awarded to a poem which compellingly engages with one of the contemporary human-caused crises in nature, e.g. climate change, species loss, ecological disruption. The prize-winning poem is selected from poems published in the winter issue of the preceding year, and those published in the summer issue of the current year. The first Aspen Poetry Prize will be announced in Summer 2020. 

Apart from the different theme criteria described above, the following guidelines apply to both competitions:

• Poems may be submitted at any time that our Submittable portal is active. 
• Poems should be original, unpublished works. 
• Translations may be submitted under the name and with the permission of the original, living author. Prizes will be awarded to the original author. 
• Only poems submitted with an awards fee will be eligible for prize consideration. 
• All poems submitted with an awards fee will be considered for both prize competitions.
• Poems submitted without an awards fee will be considered for print publication, but not the prize competitions.
• Persons with a personal or professional relationship to Hawk & Whippoorwill or Pen & Anvil are not eligible for prize consideration. 
• Poems should not exceed one hundred lines.

Prize winners will receive an award display suitable for wall display, and prominent publicity. However, neither competition is accompanied by a cash prize.

Writers submitting in this category are subscribing to a year of Hawk & Whippoorwill. Regardless of the outcome of their submission, they will receive copies of both the next two print issues.  

Poems submitted through this category will be considered for print publication, and, if accepted, will be considered as well for one of our two annual competitions: the Aspen Poetry Prize, and the Acadia Poetry Prize. (For more information about these, please see the submissions category labeled "Poetry Submissions for Prize Consideration".) 

Guidelines for submissions:

We are seeking poems which speak to some aspect of the relationship between "nature & humankind." We eschew work which is ungrammatical, trite, doggerel, mawkish, uninteresting, boring, benumbed, or pretentious. We are highly interested in nature poetry which is incisive, sharable, risky, and current. Verbal richness is great, as is resourcefulness in making use of scientific knowledge, formal innovation, and multimodal possibilities. 

Sonnets about backyard birding should be so excellent as to justify the poet's disinterest in e.g. ecological disruption, climate crisis,  or species loss. 

We are especially keen to hear from writers who can help us improve the diversity and intersectionality of our contributors list.

We read submissions on an ongoing basis.