Poetry Contest
Calling Maryland poets age 18 and older! Submit an entry to the Enoch Pratt Free Library Poetry Contest for the chance for your poem to be published and featured in Little Patuxent Review.
Maryland poets, this contest is for you! The winning poem, to be announced in mid-April, will be published in Little Patuxent Review and celebrated at a public reading hosted by the Pratt Library and Little Patuxent Review. It may also be displayed at the Central Library or turned into a collectible broadside.


Contest Rules
- Entrants must be Maryland residents, 18 or older.
- Paid or volunteer staff of the Enoch Pratt Free Library and Little Patuxent Review and their immediate families are not eligible, nor are previous Pratt Library Poetry Contest first-place winners.
- Please send only one original poem, on any theme and in any form, for consideration.
- Your entry must be unpublished, either in print or online, including personal blogs, Facebook, or Twitter. It cannot be currently under review for possible publication.
- Your entry must not exceed 100 lines.
- Submit your typed entry as a Microsoft Word attachment by email to contest@prattlibrary.org or by mail to:
Poetry Contest, Fiction & Humanities Department, Pratt Library, 400 Cathedral St, Baltimore MD 21201-4484. - All entries must be received by Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
- Please submit your name, address, phone number, and a brief biography on a separate page. Please do not put your name, address, phone number, or biography on the entry itself. Our judges will see only the poem.
- Confirmation of receipt and comments on your entry will not be provided, nor will your entry be returned to you.
Learn More
Questions? Email contest@prattlibrary.org or call (410) 396-5484.
Interested in past winners? Check out the poems that won in previous years (PDF).
Help us spread the word! Print and share a Poetry Contest flyer (PDF).
Check out our upcoming poetry events for adults:
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It is an empowering and rewarding experience. to write an hour each week, at the same time and place. It serves as powerful…March 23, 12 PM
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A read and critique group for writers with interest in all forms of writing: poetry, novel, short story, creative nonfiction…March 27, 6 PM
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Join us online for a discussion of the poetry of Ada Limón, who became the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate in July 2022…April 8, 11 AM
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It's Poetry Month! Bring a poem you love (maybe even a poem you've written). This program has a hybrid format. Participate…April 15, 11 AM