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In-House Poem Contest
2025

Winning Results

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We are so excited to announce that Andi Myles' "A Better Wife" is this year's winner for the 2025 In-House Poem Contest! We were also pleased to pick a very close runner-up for this contest, "Late March in Montana" by Corrie Williamson!

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We would also like to thank the following finalists as well for their amazing work, which we will be publishing in our 2026 Anthology alongside the winner.

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Finalists 

  • "Aubade as a Cardinal Number," Sara Lacovelli 

  • "Blue-Gum Blues," Kinsale Drake 

  • "desert haibun: ruminations," Cixous LeComte 

  • "Deconstructing a Blueprint from Enemies to Lovers," Maddie Rosales 

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Finally, we'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who submitted their work. We were honored to read all these poems, and we cannot wait to see what amazing poems we receive for next year's contest!

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Timeline

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  • Submissions will be open from September 1st to January 31st.

  • Winner will be announced in April or May.

  • Winner & finalists will be published in our annual anthology.

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Awards

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  • The winning poet will receive $300 USD, five copies of the anthology they appear in, and the opportunity to participate in a standout interview about their work.

  • Up to five finalist will be selected as well. Finalists will receive $50 USD, publication in Driftwood Press' annual anthology, and a free copy of the anthology they appear in.

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Past Contest Winners

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[2024 Contest]

[2023 Contest]

[2022 Contest]

[2021 Contest]

[2020 Contest]

[2019 Contest]

Guidelines

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  • Submitters may send up to five poems in a single document for consideration.

  • Each poem must not exceed sixty lines.

  • Prose poetry, experimental poetry, and poetry with a visual element are all welcome. Collaborations are also welcome, just know that you will be required to evenly split the $300 USD reward money amongst however many contributors there are.

  • We do not accept translations, and any submissions should be written primarily in English.

  • We do not accept previously published poems.

  • We read submissions anonymously, so please do not include your name, email, or any identifying characteristics on the manuscript itself.

  • You may include a cover letter/biography, but these are not read by editors and hold no sway in our selection process.

  • While AI may be a useful tool for research, we do not accept AI generated works.

  • Submission fee is $25.00 USD. Each submitter will receive a free copy of a Driftwood Press poetry collection of their choosing in the mail. 

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