The Tenth Gate Prize honors mid-career poets writing in English. Entry is open to authors of at least two previously published full-length poetry collections. A prize of $1000 and publication of the full-length collection is awarded annually. Jennifer Barber serves as Series Editor; the winning manuscript is selected by an outside judge.

Use our standard guidelines, but please take note: the eligibility requirement of “two previously published collections” does not include  chapbooks, self-published volumes, or forthcoming titles. Also, manuscripts that include images or graphics and “New and Selected” manuscripts are unfortunately not eligible for the Tenth Gate. However, “New and Selected” collections may be submitted during the May Reading Period.

Submission period: June 1 through August 1, 2023.

Read the guidelines for submission here.

Leslie McGrath founded the series in 2014 to honor Jane Hirshfield’s essay collection Nine Gates: Entering the Mind of Poetry and each winner’s sustained dedication to developing a unique poetics.

Direct questions to Jennifer Barber, Tenth Gate Prize Prize Series Editor, at editor@wordworksbooks.org.

New: Fee-free submissions available! 

If you are in difficult financial straits such that the submission fee will keep you from submitting, please email editor@wordworksbooks.org for a fee waiver. Up to ten waivers will be granted.

Also! BUY A BOOK in lieu of a reading fee. After purchasing a book from our online bookstore (see menu above), foreward your Paypal receipt to editor@wordworksbooks.org, and we will mark your submission manually as “Paid.” Simply ignore the Paypal prompt when uploading your submission.

Selection Process

The Prize Winners