The Granite State Poetry Prize is a $5,000 publication prize given annually for a previously unpublished poetry collection of extraordinary quality written by an emerging or established New Hampshire poet. Housed and managed by the University of New Hampshire’s English Department, the Prize is made possible through the generous support of the YAS Foundation in honor of poet and poetry lover, Nossrat Yassini. The final judge for this year's award is Jennifer Militello, distinguished author and Poet Laureate of New Hampshire.
The winner of the 2025 Granite Poetry Prize will receive:
- $5,000
- Publication (with a standard royalty contract, +20 copies of your book)
- A headline reading/book launch at the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival, taking place at the University of New Hampshire on April 18-19, 2025.
- A platform to offer a virtual workshop to a national audience
- Promotion of the poet and their book leading up to the Festival
Eligibility:
We are accepting previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscripts by current New Hampshire residents engaged in ongoing literary work in the state, OR by poets with a personal history, identity, and/or manuscript that demonstrate a strong New Hampshire influence. You will be asked to submit a brief artist’s statement delineating your connection to the state.
Manuscripts should be:
- previously unpublished (including self-publications and e-books). Poems may have been previously published in periodicals or chapbooks, but the collection as a whole must not have been previously published.
- between 48 and 96 pages (including front matter), typed single-spaced (unless the poems are meant to be presented using nonstandard spacing) in a standard font, like Times New Roman. Multiple poems may not appear on a single page.
- of original poetry, in English, by one poet. There are no restrictions on the style of poetry or subject matter. Translations are not eligible.
Entering the prize implies the author’s willingness to attend the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival in Durham, New Hampshire (April 18-19, 2025), and to take part in the headline reading and offer one workshop virtually. The honorarium is awarded in exchange for/after appearing at the Festival. If money is needed to assist with travel, arrangements for a portion of the prize to be received in advance will be made.
Submission Guidelines:
- Contact Form
- Fee: $30 (This non-refundable fee will be used to pay initial readers a stipend)
- Screening for the Granite Poetry Prize is anonymous: the manuscript (to include the filename) should not contain any information that would reveal the identity of its author. Include one title page with the manuscript title only. Contact information is collected via Submittable, and will be hidden from our readers. An acknowledgments page may be included. Manuscripts that do not follow this guideline will be deemed ineligible.
- Manuscripts must have a numbered table of contents.
- Manuscripts must be submitted electronically, through submittable, and should be a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.
- Applicants may submit manuscripts elsewhere simultaneously, but must notify us immediately if a manuscript is accepted for publication by another publisher.
- We cannot consider manuscript revisions during the course of the contest. The winning poet will have an opportunity to revise before publication.
Poets are not eligible to apply if they are close friends and/or have studied with the final judge, Jennifer Militello, in full-time accredited courses within the last three years.
Current UNH staff and students are not eligible to submit.
All applicants will be notified of the 2025 Granite State Poetry Prize results on or before December 15, 2024.
UNH/The YAS Foundation assumes no responsibility for manuscripts not received due to user error. Applicants may verify the receipt of their manuscript by logging into Submittable.
Decisions regarding eligibility, both initial and throughout the award period, are final. UNH/The YAS Foundation reserves the right to withhold the Granite State Poetry Prize in any given year.
Any questions about the contest should be sent to nossratyassinipoetryfestival@gmail.com. For more information on our book prizes and all of our programming, including the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival, please visit our website.
The Wildcats Poetry Prize—funded by the YAS Foundation and managed by the University of New Hampshire’s English Department—was created to promote and honor excellence in writing at the college level. Each year, students enrolled on any USNH campus are invited to submit their original poetry for a chance to be published in an anthology that will be housed in the library at the University of New Hampshire Durham. Two first and two second prize winners will be awarded $1,000 and $500 prizes respectively, and will read their winning poems at the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival on April 18, 2025.
Eligibility:
- Must be actively enrolled in classes at USNH (any campus)
- Must submit your own, original writing
- Must be willing to have your work appear in the USNH Anthology and, if chosen as one of the four prize winners, to read your winning poem at the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival on April 18, 2025. Honorariums are awarded in exchange for/after appearing at the Festival.
Guidelines:
- Each submission may consist of 1–3 poems, up to a maximum of 5 pages. There should be one poem per page, typed single-spaced (unless the poems are meant to be presented using nonstandard spacing). There are no restrictions regarding theme or style.
- Do not include your name or any identifying information on your submission. Submittable will collect all contact information, and we will have a number of judges, ensuring as anonymous a screening process as possible.
- Poems should be your original work. We reserve the right to disqualify any poems we believe to be plagiarized.
- Prize winners and those accepted for publication will be notified in December 2024.
Please note: UNH faculty falls under Title IX mandatory reporting guidelines, which means if you report incidences of sex-based discrimination, sexual harassment or sexual violence, we are required to report it to our UNH Title IX office. (This will not keep your poem from being read for the contest and/or potentially winning a prize)
The New Hampshire Teen Poetry Prize—funded by the YAS Foundation and managed by the University of New Hampshire’s English Department—was created to promote and honor excellence in writing at the high school level. Each year, students (ages 13-19) across New Hampshire are invited to submit their original poetry for a chance at publication, as well as three significant monetary prizes of $500 each. Grand prize winners will read their winning poems at the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival, the evening of April 18, 2025.
Eligibility:
- Must be a New Hampshire youth, between the ages of 13-19
- Must submit original writing in verse. May include, but is not limited to, free verse, formal poetry, prose poetry, song lyrics, and spoken word.
- Must be willing to have your work appear in the Young Poets Anthology and, if chosen as a grand prize winner, to read your winning poem at the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival on April 18, 2025. The honorarium is awarded in exchange for/after appearing at the Festival.
Guidelines:
Please be sure you follow all requirements related to your application. Failure to comply with any of the requirements listed below may make your application ineligible for an award.
- Poems may be submitted by the poet, by a parent/legal guardian, or a teacher.
- Each submission may consist of 1–3 poems, up to a maximum of 5 pages. There should be one poem per page, typed single-spaced (unless the poems are meant to be presented using nonstandard spacing). Poems should be submitted as a single document.
- Do not include the poet’s name on the submission. Submittable will collect all contact information, ensuring an anonymous screening process.
- Poems should be your original work. We reserve the right to disqualify any poems we believe to be plagiarized.
- If accepted for publication, the poets may use their whole name, first name, or a pseudonym. We will not publish any contact information.
- All contributors will receive a copy. Three grand prize winners will receive $500 each and will read their winning poem at the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival on April 18, 2025.
The Nossrat Yassini Poetry Prize—housed and managed by the University of New Hampshire’s English Department—honors a first book published by a U.S. poet of genuine promise in the previous calendar year. This year’s final judge will be the renowned poet Matthew Olzmann.
The poet receives:
- $10,000
- A headline reading at the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival, taking place at the University of New Hampshire April 18-19, 2024.
- A platform to offer a virtual workshop to a national audience
- Promotion of the poet and their book leading up to the Festival
Eligibility:
Any full-length poetry collection (48+ pages/with an ISBN) published between January 1 - December 31, 2024
Entering the prize implies the author’s willingness to attend the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival in Durham, New Hampshire (April 18-19, 2025), and to take part in the headline reading and offer one workshop virtually. The honorarium is awarded in exchange for/after appearing at the Festival. If money is needed to assist with travel, arrangements for a portion of the prize to be received in advance will be made.
Submission guidelines:
- Contact Form
- Fee: $50
- Copies of the book:
While some of the judges will be considering book design, those judging for content (including final judge Matthew Olzmann) will not be made aware of the poet’s identity until the winner is revealed, therefore we ask you to submit:
-One digital copy submitted as a PDF with design/identifying info removed, though acknowledgments can be included.
-Three physical copies of the book sent by mail, postmarked by the 12/2 deadline.
Please note, poets are not eligible to apply if they are close friends and/or have studied with the final judge, Matthew Olzmann, in full-time accredited courses within the last three years.
Decisions regarding eligibility, both initial and throughout the award period, are final. UNH/The YAS Foundation reserves the right to withhold the Granite State Poetry Prize in any given year.
Any questions about the contest should be sent to nossratyassinipoetryfestival@gmail.com. To find out more about our book prizes and other programming, including the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival, please visit our website.