Call for Submissions: The Broken Spine’s 2024 Poetry Chapbook Prize

The Broken Spine is thrilled to announce our third annual Poetry Chapbook Prize. This prestigious competition has seen remarkable success in previous years, with winners including Modest Raptures by Ellie Rees and Loggerheads by Lucy Heuschen. We eagerly invite poets from around the world to submit their work for the 2024 edition.

About the Judge

This year, the competition will be judged solely by The Broken Spine’s Founding Editor in Chief, Alan Parry. Alan has an impressive track record, having worked on over twenty collections as both an editor and writer. His collaborations span a diverse range of international independent poets, such as Casey Bailey, Matthew M. C. Smith, Paul Robert Mullen, Elisabeth Horan, and Kyla Houbolt. Alan is a trusted ally of marginalised voices and independent writers, dedicated to showcasing poetry that sits on the fringes.

Alan prefers poetry inspired by mid-twentieth-century writers who brought literature back to the masses. He values simplicity, clarity of thought, evocative imagery, and intertextuality. He has a particular fondness for Beat poetry and the rhythms of Ginsberg and Kerouac, yet remains open to contemporary themes and diverse voices, especially queer and non-white writers. Alan appreciates work that explores masculinity, domesticity, and the human experience with heart and emotion.

Submission Guidelines

• Manuscript Length: Submissions should be 24 pages of poetry.
• Format: Times New Roman, 10-point font, single-spaced, formatted for A5.
• Content Preferences:
  • Enjoys: White space, evocative imagery, musical and cinematic references, intertextuality, domesticity, and well-cultivated profanity.
  • Dislikes: Rhyming poetry, centre-aligned poems, experimental form, and writing that is overtly sexual or objectifies individuals.
• Submission Process: Manuscripts should be compiled into a single Word document and submitted through our Google Form.
• Thematic Consistency: There is an expectation that the poems in your manuscript are thematically linked, creating a cohesive chapbook.
• Previous Publications: It is acceptable for up to fifty percent of the poems in your submission to have been previously published elsewhere.

Reading Fee

A submission fee of £9 is required to cover the costs of design and publication. While The Broken Spine typically avoids submission fees, this charge is necessary to support the print publication process.

Timeline

• Reading Period: Submissions will be open and read throughout August 2024.
• Winner Announcement: The winner will be announced before Christmas 2024.
• Publication: The winning chapbook and Fusion 2025 will be published in the first half of 2025.

Prizes and Opportunities

• Winner: The winning poet will receive ten copies of their chapbook and the opportunity to purchase additional copies at a discounted rate to sell on at an agreed price.
• Shortlisting: Poets will be shortlisted, and up to five runners-up will be invited to publish five poems each in Fusion 2025.
• Marketing and Promotion: The winning poet and shortlisted poets will be featured in an extensive marketing campaign. They will also be invited to participate in online book launches and events.

Expectations

• Editorial Collaboration: Poets should be open to editorial suggestions and revisions.
• Engagement: Active participation in marketing efforts across social platforms is expected.
• Events: Participation in an online book launch and other press events is required.

Inspiration and Influence

Alan’s favourite writers include Andrew McMillan, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, Robert Creeley, Stan Barstow, Alan Bennett, Dorothy B. Parker, Mary Gaitskill, Sharon Olds, and Anne Waldman. Contemporary poets to draw inspiration from include previous competition winners, Eli Horan, Lizzie Kemball, Anne Walsh Donnelly, Cooza, and Katie Jenkins.

We look forward to receiving your heartfelt, boundary-pushing submissions that reflect the unique voices and experiences of our time. Join us in celebrating the power of poetry to capture the human experience.

Submit your manuscript via Google Form by 31st August 2024.

For any queries, please contact us here.

Best of luck to all entrants!