The 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. Please do not submit poems that imitate Allen Ginsberg’s work.

• Submissions are accepted using Submittable online from October 1 to February 1.

• Up to five unpublished poems per person will be accepted for consideration.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 section online will list the poet’s name, mailing address, and e-mail address. This information is not seen by he judges.

• A fee of $20.00 must accompany your submission.

  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 the Poetry Center website as well as 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 featured poems archived here online.

2025 Winners and Honorable Mentions (PDF)

Press releases for winners from previous years can be found on the Poetry Center’s news section.
 

*NOTE*  Regular poetry, fiction, and prose submissions for the Paterson Literary Review are accepted from June 1 through September 30.