Agha Shahid Ali Poetry Prize

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The world is full of paper. Write to me."
—Agha Shahid Ali, "Stationery"

Honoring the memory of a celebrated poet and a beloved teacher, the Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry is awarded annually and is sponsored by The University of Utah Press and The University of Utah Department of English. $1,000 Cash Prize and Publication; Reading in The University of Utah's Guest Writers Series.

Prize Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts must be in English and should be between 48 and 100 typed pages.
Manuscripts must be postmarked between February 1 through March 31, 2012. Early submissions are encouraged. If you desire proof of receipt, send the manuscript using a delivery confirmation service.
A check for the nonrefundable reading fee of $25 payable to The University of Utah Press must be included with the submission.
Manuscripts will not be returned and will be recycled after the competition.
Submitted poems may have appeared previously in journals, anthologies, or chapbooks, although the collection as a whole must be previously unpublished.
The competition is open to poets who have previously published book-length poetry collections, as well as unpublished poets.
Current and former students of The University of Utah and of the finalist judge may not enter. Current and former employees of The University of Utah Press are not eligible for the prize. We support the CLMP Code of Ethics.
Simultaneous submissions are permitted; however, entrants must notify the Press immediately if the collection submitted is accepted for publication elsewhere during the competition.
All submissions should include a cover sheet providing complete contact information, including name, address, telephone, and email address. No other identifying information should be included on the title page or on the manuscript itself.

Agha Shahid Ali Prize The winning manuscript will be chosen by David Gewanter of Georgetown University. The series editor will contact the winning poet and the results of the competition will be announced on this website by November 15, 2012. Please do not call the Press or the Department of English to check on the status of your submission.

The winning collection will be published by The University of Utah Press in the spring of 2013. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize and will give a reading in the University of Utah's Guest Writers Series, reading to take place during the fall or spring following publication. Travel and accommodations are paid by The University of Utah Department of English.

Please send all submissions to:

The University of Utah Press
c/o The Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry
J. Willard Marriott Library
295 South 1500 East, Suite 5400
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0860

2011 Prize Winner

Night Radio by Kim Young has been selected as the 2011 winner of the Agha Shahid Ali Poetry Prize.

Kim Young teaches creative writing and composition at Moorpark College and edits Chaparral, an online journal featuring poetry from Southern California. She is the author of the chapbook Divided Highway and her poems have appeared in numerous journals. A Pushcart nominee, she holds an MA from California State University Northridge and an MFA from Bennington College, where she received a Jane Kenyon Scholarship in poetry. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.