Apply for the 2026 Cave Canem Prize: $10,000 Award and Poetry Book Publication Opportunity for Black Poets

$10,000 Award + Poetry Book Publication Opportunity for Black Poets

About Cave Canem

Cave Canem supports Black poets through a range of core programs, notably the annual retreat held at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg. The retreat offers:

• Intensive poetry workshops

• Readings by esteemed faculty

• A vibrant, expansive community of Black poets across various traditions, including blues, confessional, experimental, dramatic, lyric, narrative, performance, and political poetry.

Cost: Thanks to generous funding, there is no submission fee for the Fellowship application, and the retreat is free for all Fellows.

About the Cave Canem Prize

Launched in 1999, the Cave Canem Prize helps Black poets overcome barriers to publishing their first full-length poetry collections.

In honor of the Prize’s 25th anniversary, the monetary award has increased to $10,000.

The Prize Includes:

• $10,000 monetary award

• Publication by Graywolf Press in Fall 2025

• 15 complimentary copies of the published book

• A featured public reading with the selected judge, presented by Cave Canem

Important Dates

• Submissions Open: Now

• Deadline: May 8, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET

• Judge Announcement: Summer 2025

Eligibility

• Open to Black poets (members of the African Diaspora)

• Manuscripts must be unpublished and original, written in English

• Poets must not have a previously published full-length poetry book by a professional press

• Authors of chapbooks and self-published books (maximum 500 copies) are eligible

Additional Requirements:

• If you win another competition with your submitted manuscript, you must inform Cave Canem.

• Winners must be present in the continental U.S. shortly after publication for promotional readings (at their own expense).

Exclusions

You are ineligible if you are:

• A current/former student, colleague, employee, family member, or close friend of the judge

• A current/former employee or board member of Cave Canem Foundation or Graywolf Press

• An author with a book already published or under contract with Graywolf Press

Note: Merely being acquainted with the judge or attending their workshops does not disqualify you.

How to Apply

Submissions are open! Visit Cave Canem official website for detailed application guidelines.