Literary Prizes

CBC Poetry Prize

The 2023 CBC Poetry Prize is open for submissions between April 1 and June 1 at 4:59 p.m. ET.

The 2023 CBC Poetry Prize is now closed

Kyo Lee has won the 2023 CBC Poetry Prize for her poem lotus flower blooming into breasts.

She received $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and her poem was published on CBC Books. You can read lotus flower blooming into breasts here.

WHAT: Submit an original, unpublished poem or collection of poems, up to 600 words in length. There is no minimum word requirement.

WHEN: The CBC Poetry Prize is open for submissions between April 1 and June 1 at 4:59 p.m. ET.

WHO: All Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.

HOW: While the competition is active, submit online through Submittable. A fee of $25.00 (taxes included) for administration purposes is required for each entry. 

WHAT YOU CAN WIN: The winner will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and have their work published on CBC Books. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their story published on CBC Books.

WHO IS JUDGING: A team of readers from across Canada will read the entries and determine the longlist. The shortlist and winner will be decided by a jury comprised of Joseph A. Dandurand, Catherine Graham and Tolu Oloruntoba.

WHO WON LAST YEAR: Kyo Lee of Waterloo, Ont. won the 2023 CBC Poetry Prize for her poem lotus flower blooming into breasts.

WANT HELP: Subscribe to the CBC Poetry Prize newsletter for writing tips and support along the way. We will send you writing tips, tricks and prompts every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday while the CBC Poetry Prize is open.

SUBMIT IN FRENCH: If you're looking to submit to the French poetry prize, while the competition is active, you can enter here

WANT SUPPORT: Join our Canada Writes Facebook group! It's a place where writers across Canada can connect with each other, support each other and even offer each other feedback.

OTHER PRIZES: The CBC Short Story Prize will open in September and the 2024 CBC Nonfiction Prize will open in January 2024.

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