The Visiting Writers Program
at
Farmingdale State College
is pleased to announce
the twenty-first annual competition
for
The Paumanok Poetry Award
One First Prize $1500 and expenses for a reading in our 2012 - 2013 series
Two Second Prizes $750 and expenses for a reading in our series

Interested writers should send the following items to Margery L. Brown, English Department, Knapp Hall, Farmingdale State College, 2350 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale, New York 11735:

a cover letter
a one-paragraph bio
3-5 of their best poems (no more than 10 pages, total)
the required $25 entry fee

Poems may be published or unpublished, and there are no restrictions on style, subject matter, or length of poems submitted: quality is the single criterion. Please note that the writer's name, address, and phone number should be clearly indicated on the cover page. Multiple entries will not be accepted. Entries from previous winners will not be considered.

Make checks payable to Farmingdale State College, VWP.

Poems will not be returned, but writers who want to know the results of the competition via snail mail should enclose a business-size SASE for results (notification by late December). Results are also published on this website.

Deadline: Postmark no later than September 15, 2011.

Please direct any questions or requests for clarification via email to Margery Brown.

FAQs About the Paumanok Poetry Award

FAQ1: What is the Paumanok Poetry Award?

The Paumanok Poetry Award is an annual award given to a poet writing in English. The award is adminstered by the Visiting Writers Program at the State University of New York at Farmingdale.

FAQ2: Why "Paumanok"?

Walt Whitman referred to Long Island as "Paumanok," and this award was founded by Dr. Charles Fishman, a faculty member at the State University of New York at Farmingdale, Long Island's oldest institution of higher learning, so the name seemed appropriate.

FAQ3: Do I need to fill out an application to enter the contest?

There is no application form. Simply follow the guidelines on this website.

FAQ4: Must I live in the US to enter?

Entrants do not have to live in the US. However, poems must be in English, and the travel expenses included in the prize are for travel only within the continental US.

FAQ5: How many poems may I enter?

You may enter 3-5 individual poems. The length of the entire entry may not exceed 10 pages. For example, you might enter one four-page poem and three two-page poems.

FAQ6: Does the September 15 deadlline mean the received-by date or the postmark date?

September 15 is the postmark date.

FAQ7: What should I include in my bio?

There are no fixed requirements for the author's bio. Most entrants include the highlights of their career and a list of their publications. Some entrants include more personal information as well.

FAQ8: Should I put my name and address on individual poems?

Yes, you should put your name and address on individual poems. Entries are not read anonymously.

FAQ9: What information should I include in my cover letter?

Most entrants list the titles or first lines of the poems in their entries as well as noting the enclosure of the required fee and a SASE.

FAQ10: To whom should my check/money order be payable?

Make checks/money orders for $25 (US currency only) payable to "The Visiting Writers Program."

http://www.farmingdale.edu/
http://www.farmingdale.edu/campuspage ... ishhumanities/paward.html

Click on the link above and go to the contest official site