PSI Contests

PSI hosts several poetry contests throughout the year including members-only and public contests and contests for students.

Seasonal Poetry Contests

PSI will host four seasonal contests through the year. Contests come with prizes for the top three poems in each category and those poems are published in our yearly anthology. 

2025 Schedule

Spring - Submissions Closed February 22
​
​Summer - (Will open around end of April. Deadline for entry will be May 22)
​Judges: Poems must be judged and winners sent to PSI by
June 21 award event at Westfield Washington Public Library, Westfield

Fall - (Submissions will open around end of July. Deadline for entry will be August 20)
September 20 award event at Cool Creek Park, Carmel
​
​Winter - (Submissions will open around end of October. Deadline for entry will be November 20)
December 20 award event
PSI 2025 Summer Contest Sponsor Submissions: Open 
Deadline to submit for sponsorship of the Summer 2025 contest is April 21, 2025

​Help pick our categories and poetry forms for our Summer contest. Contests come with prize money for the top three poems in each category and publication in our yearly anthology. Your sponsorship supports these prizes.
** PSI 2025 Summer Contest Submission Form CLOSED** opening late April
Please direct any questions on the contest to [email protected]
Submission Deadline: May 22, 2025


Contest Entry Fee: 
  • Members: Free
  • Non-members: $5 (all poems are submitted at once for one fee of $5). Payable via paypal
​
Submission Guidelines

Please read carefully.
  • Submissions are open internationally, to any poet writing in English 
  • Paper/printed copies are not accepted
  • Simultaneous and previously published (publicly available online or in print) poems are not eligible
  • Poets may submit one poem for each of the 5 categories. Do not submit a document with more than 5 poems
  • Non-members must send payment for the entry fee
  • All poems must have a title unless the form does not traditionally have a title. Examples: haiku, tanka, rictameter, cinquain. In these cases, enter the first line of the poem
  • Upload one word document with all of your poetry submissions
    • Single space all line breaks in the poem.
    • Double space between stanzas.
    • Start each poem on a new page using page break. 
    • Use Times New Roman 12pt font on all text.
    • Use Times New Roman 14pt font for the title.
  • Not following the guidelines may result in an automatic disqualification.
  • PSI board members are not eligible

​The top three poems in each category are published in our yearly anthology.

Please direct any questions on the contest to [email protected]
Watch the form walkthrough.

Categories and Awards for Summer 2025 TBA

Results

March 22 award event Anderson Public Library
Categories and Winners for Spring 2025
​
Rebellious Women
Sponsored by Gal's Guide Library
1st Unforgivable – Laura Scheele
2nd All the Women Who Came Before Us – Alys Caviness-Gober
3rd The Witch Who Would Not Burn – Bhavana Rupakula
HM Love Thyself and Soar – L. C. Rose

Really??
Sponsored by Anonymous
1st Really?? – Janice Miller
2nd Yes, Such Things Happen – Really – Janice Canerdy
3rd Really, You Call That Driving? – Mary Couch
HM1 Really? – Laura Scheele

Brick by Lego Brick
Sponsored by Michael Strosahl
1st Brickyard in 4 Acts – Dennis White (Michael presented Dennis an assembled Lego kit of Robert Indiana’s Love sculpture.)
2nd Pantoum – Lora Butcher
3rd Legos of Imagination – Walter Biskupski
HM1 Brothers – Alys Caviness-Gober
HM2 Brick by Lego Brick – Mary Couch

​
Love of Poetry
Sponsored by Poetry Society of Indiana
1st Observe – W. Scott Grant
2nd To Write – Walter Biskupski
3rd My Quill – Mary Couch
HM1 the kiss – Laura E. Scheele
HM2 Love is – Paige Wyatt

Poverty
Sponsored by Oak & Amethyst
1st Conditions of Disability – Alys Caviness-Gober
2nd Waiting for Rain – Bhavana Rupakula
3rd Our Shared Mortl Sin – L. C. Rose
HM1 Swipe – Jonathan Fuller
HM2 Destitution – Dennis White

Thank you to our sponsors!

In 2024, the following sponsors supported PSI by sponsoring categories in our annual contest.

Babbling Brook Award - Mary A. Couch
Cyan-Lee Award - Chris Ryan
Dr. Emory D. Jones
Eleanor Cranmer and Caroline Award - Caroline Dewey
Enjoying Nature - Mark and Nicole Oehler
Glenna Glee, the One and Only - Rex Williamson
Hoosier Heritage Award - Chuck Kellum
Invicta Economic Consulting, LLC
Kathy Jo Carter
Let There Be Light - Linda Eaton
​Poet Anon
Rachel Wright
The Viola Award - Peggy O’Donnell Heacox

In 2025, the following sponsors supported PSI
​Spring
Gal's Guide Library, ​Oak & Amethyst,  Michael Strosahl

Student Poets Contests

PSI Young Voices Annual Poetry Contest

Submissions Open May 1 to Sep 20. Any theme

Young Voices categories are 
1 grades 3-4
2 grades 5-6
3 grades 7-8
4 grades 9-10
5 grades 11-12

Manningham Trust Student Poetry Contest

PSI hosts a state-level Manningham Trust Student Poetry Contest. Winners at the state level move up to the national level. The contest is open to students in grades 6-12. Deadline is always early winter

Previous PSI Contests (Prior to 2025)

PSI Annual Poetry Contest


Our annual state contest open to the public and had numerous categories with results announced at our annual Fall Rendezvous in October.​

PSI Members-Only Annual Spring Fling Poetry Contest

​Each year as part of our Spring Fling event, we offered our paid members the opportunity to compete in a member's only poetry contest. The winners are announced during our annual Spring Fling event. The contest is judged by PSI's Premier Poet.