The William Matthews Poetry Prize
Every year from September 15 – January 15, Asheville Poetry Review accepts entries for The William Matthews Poetry Prize.
The next entry period for The William Matthews Poetry Prize is September 15, 2023 through January 15, 2024.
First Prize: $1,000, publication in Asheville Poetry Review, and a featured reading in Asheville
Second Prize: $250, publication, and a featured reading in Asheville
Third Prize: Publication and a featured reading in Asheville
Final Judge for 2024: David Kirby
The final judging process will be anonymous (all identifying information will be removed from the poems).
All submissions will be considered for publication.
Postmark Deadline: January 15 of each year.
Send 3 poems, any style, any theme, any length, with a $20 entry fee.
Submissions should be sent online through Submittable:
Winners of the 2023 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Kate DeLay, “Repentance”
Second Place: Rodney Gomez, “Tableau With Tarantella, Public Housing, and Underwood Ham”
Third Place: Jeanne Wagner, “Penelope”
(Judge: Diane Seuss)
Winners of the 2022 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Maura High, “Verbesina Occidentalis”
Second Place: Christina Hutchins, “Meeting Memory on the Mendocino Coast”
Third Place: Anna Lena Phillips Bell, “Scissors”
(Judge: Marilyn Nelson)
Winners of the 2021 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Sean Webb, “American Genesis”
Second Place: Annie Woodford, “An Aunt Story, Improvised as a Blues Line”
Third Place: Earl Sherman Braggs, “Still Life”
(Judge: Quincy Troupe)
Winners of the 2020 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Denver Butson, “Study Guide”
Second Place: Melanie Tafejian, “On Occupation”
Third Place: Mark Kyungsoo Bias, “How God Breaks”
(Judge: Ilya Kaminsky)
Winners of the 2019 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Jude Nutter, “The Lions of Chauvet”
Second Place: Sarah Rose Nordgren, “Blessing”
Third Place: Joshua Martin, “Approaching My Brother, I Think of Karl Wallenda”
(Judge: Dorianne Laux)
Winners of the 2018 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Rosa Lane, “The Long Meadow”
Second Place: Kathleen Spivack, “M. Caillebotte Paints Mme. Boissiere Knitting”
Third Place: Mary B. Moore, “Quaking Grass”
(Judge: Alfred Corn)
Winners of the 2017 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Jared Harél, “You Want It Darker”
Second Place: Sarah Gordon, “The Last American Tour, 1953”
Third Place: Chelsea Woodard, “Wren’s Nest”
(Judge: Cornelius Eady)
Winners of the 2016 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Marilee Richards, “The Double Zero”
Second Place: Anne Valley-Fox, “To Love India”
Third Place: Catherine Carter, “First Witch”
(Judge: Joy Harjo)
Winners of the 2015 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Matthew Wimberley, “All the Great Territories”
Second Place: Patrick Swaney, “Late Fall, Late Afternoon”
Third Place: Debbie Benson, “Papanasam”
(Judge: Garrett Hongo)
Winners of the 2014 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Bruce Sager, “The Lot of Stars”
Second Place: T. J. Sandella, “Flight”
Third Place: Dave Seter, “What My Uncle is Trying to Say”
(Judge: Billy Collins)
Winners of the 2013 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Bart Rawlinson, “Jonah and Mr. Bones”
Second Place: Shelley Puhak, “On High School Reunions and Hurricane Agnes”
Third Place: David Brendan Hopes, “Spade”
(Judge: Patricia Smith)
Winners of the 2012 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Becky Gould Gibson, “Heading Home”
Second Place: Catherine Carter, “The Young”
Third Place: Angela Kelly, “time, and a little honey”
(Judge: David Wagoner)
Winners of the 2011 William Matthews Prize
First Place: Michael White, “The Milkmaid”
Second Place: Bruce Bond, “Jon Faddis and the High Note”
Third Place: Mary Makofske, “Museum of Torture, San Gimignano, Italy”
(Judge: Sebastian Matthews)