$1,000 in cash prizes

Only 14 entries have been received for this contest, as of May 9!

Are you a poet of Christian faith? Do you prefer to write poetry in traditional styles of rhyming verse? Are subjects of Christian faith the visible themes of your poetry? If so, this contest is intended for you!

CATEGORY 1 (tips on how to win this category)
             Classical Christian Poetry
                  First Prize: $300
                  Second Prize: $100
                  Honorable Mentions: $20 each (5 awards)

CATEGORY 2 (tips on how to win this category)
            Rhyming poetry (Religious theme)
                  First Prize: $300
                  Second Prize: $100
                  Honorable Mentions: $20 each (5 awards)

If you feel the categories in this contest do not suit your style of poetry, be sure to visit our sponsoring site, Utmost Christian Writers, where more varied styles are welcome. Prizes are also larger.

Please read our poetry contest rules, fill in the official entry form and mail it with your entry fee.

Who Sponsors This Contest?

Entry Form Here

Poetry Contest Rules:

1. This contest is open to all Christians, not only Christians in North America, but Christians around the world.

2. Send up to ten (10) poems with your entry fees to: Utmost Christian Writers, 121 Morin Maze, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6K 1V1 (Do not send entries by email.) Make your check payable to: Utmost Christian Writers

3. Poems must not have been published previously or have won any prize in any previous competition of any kind. You do not need to be an unpublished poet, but the poems you submit must be unpublished.

4. Poems must not be entered in any other contest, nor simultaneously offered elsewhere for publication.

5. Each poem must be typed as a separate manuscript, with no name or other identification on it. If your poem requires multiple pages, number the pages.

6. Poems must be on Christian themes. Acceptable themes can be Christian faith, the love of God, salvation, the sacrifice of Christ, discipleship, etc. The range of possibilities is great. If your poem is about a Bible event, be sure to go beyond a simple recounting of the story; we want poetry that expresses faith, commitment to Christ, etc. If your poem is not expressly religious in content, do not enter this contest, but visit our sponsor at Utmost Christian Writers for other contests.

7. Poems will be judged on literary merit.

8. Fill out a separate entry form (copies of the form are acceptable) for EACH POEM you are entering, and include it in the same envelope as your entries. Entries must be POSTMARKED May 31, 2008 or earlier. You may include multiple entries in your envelope, but you must have a separate entry form for each poem. If your envelope contains more than one entry, you may combine the total fees into one check or payment.

9. Include an entry fee of $15 for each poem entered. (Make your check payable to: Utmost Christian Writers, the contest sponsor.) For example, if you entered 10 poems—the maximum permitted—you would send a check for $150. American citizens should submit U.S. dollars. Canadian citizens should submit Canadian dollars. If you are paying your entry fees with a postal money order, be sure it is an International money order. Canada is not a territory of the United States and domestic money orders from the U.S. are not negotiable in Canada.

(Entries MUST be accompanied by an official entry form, signed by the entrant, and the correct entry fees. Entries not accompanied by a signed entry form and correct fees will not be accepted.)

10. Be sure to send only copies of your poems (not originals) as manuscripts will be destroyed following the competition. In no case will entries be returned to entrants. Please do not send a SASE with your entry. Send entries to: Utmost Christian Writers, 121 Morin Maze, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6K 1V1

11. Winners will be announced publicly on July 1, 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta. Competitors may request a list of winners with an email enquiry to: nnharms@telusplanet.net after July 1. Winners will also be announced on our web site at: http://www.thechristianpoet.org

12. By accepting a prize, any winner of a cash prize of $20 or greater authorizes Utmost Christian Writers Foundation to post the winning entry in the Poetry Gallery at the Utmost Christian Writers web site in perpetuity. All poets retain copyright and all other publication rights to their work. We place no restrictions on the rights of winners to publish or sell their work elsewhere following the announcement of prizes.

13. Prizes will be sent by first class postal mail. Payments are made by international postal money order so that prizes may be cashed at a post office by the winners without bank charges being assessed. Prizes are paid in American dollars. ALL PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED.

14. Poems will be judged by an independent committee of poets under the administration of Utmost Christian Writers Foundation director, Barbara Mitchell. Under no circumstances will Utmost Christian Writers or the judges enter into discussion with any contestant.

CATEGORY 1 (tips on how to win this category)
             Classical Christian Poetry
                  First Prize: $300
                  Second Prize: $100
                  Honorable Mentions: $20 each (5 awards)

CATEGORY 2 (tips on how to win this category)
            Rhyming poetry (Religious theme)
                  First Prize: $300
                  Second Prize: $100
                  Honorable Mentions: $20 each (5 awards)

15. In no case will prize amounts be reduced or substituted. Winners will receive announced cash prizes even if the number of entries is fewer than expected.

16. We honor privacy strictly and will never sell or give your name, address, email address or other personal information to any other party.

17. Questions about this contest may be addressed to Nathan Harms.

Category 1: Classical Christian Poetry
What do we mean by classical Christian poetry? Think of the great poets of Christian history such as Fanny J. Crosby (Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross, Blessed Assurance), Frances R. Havergal (Like a River Glorious) and Charles Wesley (And Can It Be That I Should Gain). These great men and women wrote poetry with rhyme and meter, and their work delved into deep Christian spiritual experience. Many of these poems were intended as hymns, and even those not initially intended to be accompanied by music have often become beloved by us as they were put to music.

Category 1 poems must be written in stanzas of 4 lines each. You may use any rhyming scheme you wish within this 4-lines-per-stanza framework, but your poem must not exceed 28 lines plus title. If your poem is longer than 28 lines, enter it in Category 2 which permits poems up to 40 lines plus title.

In Category 1 our contest judges will demand that your poem has accurate meter and good rhyme. Beyond that, your work will be judged on its expressed spiritual content and poetic qualities. We are looking for poems with overtly Christian subject matter.

Punctuation in poetry may be used creatively, but spelling errors will not be overlooked. After all, we are asking for "Classical Christian Poetry." If you choose to write using King James English (ie "thee," "thou," etc) be sure to use the right terms and be consistent in their use. Examples of terrible use of King James English.

Category 2: Rhyming Poetry (religious theme)
This category is for rhyming poetry that falls outside of the 4-lines-per-stanza format, or is longer than 28 lines. This category could include sonnets, for example, or other styles of rhyming poetry. Poetry in this category—like Category 1—is also required to have an expressly religious theme.

In Category 2 your poem can be up to 40 lines in length (plus title) and your style can incorporate non-standard meter (or no rigid meter). Beyond that, your work will be judged on its expressed spiritual content and poetic qualities. We are looking for poems with overtly Christian subject matter.

Punctuation in poetry may be used creatively, but spelling errors will not be overlooked.

Christian Publishers Poetry Prize

$1,000 in cash for Christian poetry in traditional forms!