Poets & Writers Magazine

For more than twenty years, Poets & Writers Magazine has been a trusted companion to writers who take their vocation seriously. Within its pages, our readers find provocative essays on the literary life, practical guidance for getting published and pursuing writing careers, in-depth profiles of poets, fiction writers, and writers of creative nonfiction, and conversation among fellow professionals.

Poets & Writers Magazine • Volume 50 • Issue 3

EDITOR’S Note • SCENES OF A PAST AND AN UNKNOWN FUTURE

Reactions • Poets & Writers Magazine welcomes feedback from its readers. Please post a comment on select articles at pw.org, e-mail editor@pw.org, or write to Editor, Poets & Writers Magazine, 90 Broad Street, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10004. Letters accepted for publication may be edited for clarity and length.

From Booksellers to Owners

CONTRIBUTORS

Page One • Where New And Noteworthy Books Begin

Prize Offers Access for African Writers

Building Solidarity Through Poetry

Small Press Points

Literary MagNet

A New Editor for the Rumpus

The Time Is Now • Writing Prompts and Exercises

1000 Words of Summer • HOW AN ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT OPENED UP MY WRITING LIFE

What I Deserve • HOW TO WRITE LIKE NOBODY’S READING

The Shape of Time • PLANTING WORDS ON A PAGE

Life Goals • ELIF BATUMAN, THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF THE IDIOT AS WELL AS ITS SEQUEL, EITHER/OR, FORTHCOMING FROM PENGUIN PRESS IN MAY, TALKS TO POROCHISTA KHAKPOUR ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES WRITING THE NEW NOVEL, BEING NAMED A FINALIST FOR THE PULITZER PRIZE, AND WHAT SHE LEARNED ON A TRIP TO RUSSIA AND UKRAINE.

LEARNING TO FLY • SAMANTHA HUNT’S NEW GENRE-BENDING EXPLORATION OF GHOSTS AND GHOST STORIES, THE UNWRITTEN BOOK: AN INVESTIGATION, IS HAUNTED BY A SPECIAL GHOST BOOK: WITHIN ITS PAGES IS AN INCOMPLETE NOVEL ABOUT A SECRET SOCIETY OF PEOPLE WHO CAN FLY, WRITTEN BY HER FATHER AND DISCOVERED IN A DRAWER JUST DAYS AFTER HIS DEATH.

WRITING CONTESTS

FINDING THE WRITING CONTEST FOR YOU

EIGHT FINAL REVISIONS TO TRY BEFORE YOU HIT SUBMIT

WRITING CONTEST SUCCESS STORIES

UNCOMMON CONTESTS • Nineteen Literary Awards With Prizes Beyond the Ordinary

YOUR SUMMER OF SUBMISSIONS • Tools and Tips for Planning When, Where, and How to Send Out Your Work

Agent Advice • Howard Yoon of the Ross Yoon Agency

A Workshop With Stakes • SHARING YOUR MEMOIR WITH YOUR FAMILY

Deadlines • POETS & WRITERS MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES state, national, and international prizes in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and translation. We list only prizes of $1,000 or more, prizes of $500 or more that charge no entry fee, and prestigious nonmonetary awards. Applications and submissions for the following prizes are due shortly. Before submitting a manuscript, first contact the sponsoring organization for complete guidelines. When requesting information by mail, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE). See Submission Calendar for deadlines arranged by date, and for announcements of recently awarded prizes, see Recent Winners.

Submission Calendar

Recent Winners

Conferences & Residencies • POETS & WRITERS MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES application information for writers conferences, literary festivals, and residencies of interest to poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and translators. Applications for the following events are due shortly. Conferences and festivals with rolling, first-come, first-served admission are listed well in advance. Some accept registration on the date of the event. Contact the sponsoring organization for an application and complete guidelines, as well as updates regarding the impact of public health guidelines. When...