The Cave Canem Prize is an annual award given to the best debut collection of poems submitted by a Black poet. Founded in 1996 by Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, Cave Canem aims to address the underrepresentation and isolation of African-American poets in the literary world. The prize was officially launched in 1999 when Rita Dove selected Natasha Trethewey’s Domestic Work as the inaugural winner. Last year’s recipient was Nigerian writer Ajibola Tolase.
Prize Details:
- $10,000 Award: This year, in honor of the 25th anniversary, Cave Canem is offering a historic prize of $10,000 for the selected manuscript. It’s the largest prize in the organization’s history and one of the most substantial first poetry book prizes in the country.
- Judging by Natasha Trethewey: As part of the anniversary celebration, Natasha Trethewey, the inaugural winner, will serve as the judge for the 2025 Cave Canem Prize.
- Publication Opportunity: The winning manuscript will be published by Graywolf Press in Fall 2025.
- Additional Benefits: The winner will receive 15 copies of the published book and have the opportunity to participate in a feature reading with Trethewey.
Submission Guidelines:
- Eligibility: All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English by Black poets who have not previously published a full-length book of poetry through a professional press.
- Chapbook Authors Welcome: Black authors of chapbooks and self-published books (with a maximum print run of 500) are eligible to apply.
- Simultaneous Submissions: Applicants may submit their manuscript to other book awards simultaneously, but immediate notice upon winning such an award is required.
- Exclusions: Current or former students, colleagues, employees, family members, and close friends of the judge, as well as current or former employees and board members of Cave Canem Foundation or University of Pittsburgh Press, are ineligible.
- Manuscript Format: Upload your manuscript as a .doc or .pdf document. Include a title page with the title only and a table of contents. The author’s name should not appear on any pages within the uploaded document.
- Cover Letter: Include a cover letter in the Submittable text box (DO NOT include it within the manuscript document). The cover letter should contain the author’s brief bio (maximum 200 words) and a list of acknowledgments for previously published poems.
- Pagination and Length: The manuscript must be paginated, with a font size of 11 or 12, and be 60-75 pages in length (including the title page and table of contents). While a poem may span multiple pages, no more than one poem per page is permitted.
- Online Submissions Only: Hard copy submissions will not be considered.
- One Manuscript per Poet: Each poet may submit only one manuscript.
Deadline: May 13, 2024
To submit your manuscript, visit the official submission page.
Best of luck to all applicants!
