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Walt Whitman Award For Poetry


The Walt Whitman Award is a $5,000 first-book publication prize given to an American poet. The winning manuscript, chosen by an acclaimed poet, is published by Graywolf Press, a leading independent publisher committed to the discovery and energetic publication of contemporary American and international literature. The winner also receives an all-expenses-paid six-week residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in the Umbrian region of Italy. In addition, the Academy of American Poets purchases copies of the winning book for distribution to thousands of its members. The winner also receives a trip to New York City to attend the American Poets Prizes ceremony.

The award was established in 1975 to encourage the work of emerging poets and to enable the publication of a poet’s first book. It is made possible by financial support from the members of the Academy of American Poets.

Submissions will be accepted online only between September 1 and November 1, 2014.

The 2015 judge for the Walt Whitman Award is Tracy K. Smith.

Guidelines; Submit Online