The X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize Prize

Winner Receives: $10,000 Advance + Residency Fellowship at Vermont Studio Center 

2026 Judge: Phillip B. Williams 

General Guidelines

• Submissions are open July 1 – September 30.
• A fee of $28 must be paid at the time of submission.
• The X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize is not a first book prize, though we welcome first books. The Prize is open to poets at any stage of their career.
• There are no formal restrictions for this prize; we welcome manuscripts of any style/form.
• Poems may have been published individually in magazines or anthologies, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished.
• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please notify TRP immediately by withdrawing the manuscript via Submittable if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
• Submissions are accepted through Submittable only.
• Winner will receive a $10,000 advance, TRP's X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize Fellowship at Vermont Studio Center, a standard royalty contract, and 10 copies of the published book.

Manuscript Guidelines

• Manuscripts must be between 50 and 100 pages in length.
• Please include a table of contents, title page, and page numbers.
• Do not include an acknowledgments page.
• No more than one poem per page. (Multi-page poems are welcome. Start each poem on a new page.)
• Submissions are judged on an anonymous basis. Please remove any personally identifying information from the manuscript. (Name, contact info, etc.)
• Submit as a .pdf, .docx, or .doc file format.
• No revisions will be accepted once the manuscript is uploaded.

Eligibility

• Open to anyone writing in English.
• Submitters must be 18+ years of age.
• Translations are not eligible.
• Manuscripts may make use of other languages, as long as English remains the primary language throughout the work.
• Previously published manuscripts—including self-published or out-of-print works—are not eligible.
• Individual pieces may have appeared in magazines or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished.

Conflict of Interest Restrictions

• Current and former TRP authors are not eligible.
• Family of the final judge or TRP staff are not eligible.
• Current or former students* of the final judge or TRP staff are not eligible.
• Current and former students, faculty, and staff of Sam Houston State University are not eligible.

*Writers who studied with the final judge or TRP staff for a semester-length period are not eligible. Writers who studied with the final judge or TRP staff for two-week residencies, single workshops, or other instances less than a semester in length are eligible, provided the work submitted is previously unseen by TRP staff or the final judge.

AI Content Policy

TRP does not accept submissions that include text, images, data, or any other content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including but not limited to large language models. Submitted work must be original and previously unpublished in any form. AI-generated manuscripts are not eligible.

TRP's X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize Fellowship at Vermont Studio Center

Vermont Studio Center (VSC) and TRP: The University Press of SHSU (TRP) are pleased to announce a partnership to offer the TRP’s X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize Fellowship at Vermont Studio Center. This fellowship offers a three-week residency, in the summer, to a recipient of the X. J. Kennedy Prize and includes a private studio space, a private room in shared lodging, access to the Visiting Artists & Writers Program, and all meals. The X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize Fellow at VSC will join an inclusive international community of artists and writers located in northern Vermont.

This contest honors award-winning poet X. J. Kennedy.