Mount Poetry Prize now accepting submissions from students

The Auburn University Department of English's annual Robert Hughes Mount Jr. Poetry Prize, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets, is now open for submissions. The prize offers a $100 award, a one-year membership in the Academy of American Poets and a copy of the judge’s collection of poems for the Auburn University student submitting the best poem. One honorable mention also will receive a copy of the judge’s collection of poems.

Additionally, all winning entries written by students 23 years old or younger will be considered for the Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Most Promising Young Poet Award. This prize comes with a $1,000 award.

Graduate or undergraduate students may submit up to three poems to Professor Rose McLarney of the English Department. All poems must be submitted electronically and according to the following guidelines. The contest deadline is Wednesday, March 2.

Submission guidelines:

-Include a cover sheet with your name, mailing address, phone number, Auburn email address and age. Any submissions missing this complete cover page will be disregarded.

- Include up to three poems.

- All poems must be submitted electronically for consideration. Your complete submission should be sent from your Auburn email address as a single Word document attachment.

- Send the submission to Professor Rose McLarney at rem0050@auburn.edu.

The prize winner will be celebrated at the English Awards Ceremony in the spring. Questions about Auburn's contest should be directed to the Poetry Prize Coordinator, Professor Rose McLarney, at rem0050@auburn.edu.

The judge of this year’s contest is poet Michelle Penaloza. Peñaloza is the author of “Former Possessions of the Spanish Empire,” winner of the 2018 Hillary Gravendyk National Poetry Prize. She is also the author of two chapbooks, “landscape/heartbreak” and “Last Night I Dreamt of Volcanoes.” Peñaloza is the recipient of fellowships and awards from the University of Oregon, Kundiman and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, among others. The proud daughter of Filipino immigrants, she was born in the suburbs of Detroit and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. She now lives in rural Northern California.