North Carolina Literary Review Announces Inaugural James Applewhite Poetry Prize Competition

The North Carolina Literary Review (NCLR) has announced the new James Applewhite Poetry Prize competition.

Editor Margaret Bauer reported that upon noting NCLR had received almost 100 poetry submissions for the last issue, she realized it was time to set a reading period for poetry, as NCLR had done for fiction since taking over the management of the Doris Betts Fiction Prize for the North Carolina Writers Network. “And since our fiction contest is named for a writer from the western part of North Carolina, we decided to name the poetry contest for an eastern North Carolina writer,” Bauer explained, adding, “The poet James Applewhite immediately came to mind – NCLR’s editors tend to refer to him as the Dean of North Carolina Poetry.”

Applewhite is a native of Stantonsburg and Professor Emeritus at Duke University where he taught for over 30 years. His 12th volume of poetry is forthcoming from LSU Press, and he has been the recipient of numerous literary awards and honors, including the North Carolina Award for Literature and induction into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. “Dr. Applewhite’s example reflects the high standards we hope the poets who submit will aspire to, and we will be proud to publish the winning poem and finalists in our pages,” said Bauer.

The competition is open to any poet who fits the NCLR definition of a North Carolina writer (a current or past North Carolina resident). For the inaugural year’s competition, Applewhite will choose the winning poem from a pool of finalists selected by NCLR’s Poetry Editor Jeffrey Franklin. The first place winner will receive a cash prize of $250 and publication in the award-winning NCLR. Select finalists will also be published in NCLR. The winner will be announced at the Eastern North Carolina Literary Homecoming held in September at East Carolina University.

Poems may be submitted from February 15 to May 1 through NCLR‘s online submission manager. Poets may submit up to three pages of poetry for a $15 entry fee or up to five pages for a $20 entry fee. The submission fee will be waived for NCLR subscribers and members of the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association (NCLHA). See all guidelines.

The North Carolina Literary Review is published annually by East Carolina University and the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association, and is available by subscription as well as at independent bookstores across North Carolina. NCLR publishes interviews and literary criticism about North Carolina writers and high-quality poetry, fiction, drama, and creative nonfiction by North Carolina writers or set in North Carolina.