BOB HICOK FELLOWSHIP
$2000 x 1 Winner
2 complimentary workshops x 4 Finalists
Submission Period: July 1-August 1
Results Announced: November
ETHOS
The Bob Hicok Poetry Fellowship is a year-long invitation to write with funding, education, mentorship and a community that cares. We welcome poets at any stage of their practice who are writing in English. One poet will be selected for the 2025 Fellowship. Five finalists will also be recognized.
In its inaugural year, this fellowship offers a $1000 cash prize, $1000 in workshop credits, a 1:1 conversation with Bob Hicok (our most favorite poet!) and a full year to develop a new portfolio of poems. You’ll also receive a lifetime membership to ONLY POEMS, along with space to share your work and process through a quarterly column, an in-depth post-fellowship interview, and a featured portfolio on our website and socials.
In addition to the fellow, five finalists will receive $200 in workshop credits, and lifetime membership to ONLY POEMS.
We’ve published debut authors and Pulitzer winners, poets who work in libraries, bakeries, and NASA labs alike. We care about the work and the spirit behind it. We can’t wait to read your poetry.
In its inaugural year, this fellowship offers a $1000 cash prize, $1000 in workshop credits, a 1:1 conversation with Bob Hicok (our most favorite poet!) and a full year to develop a new portfolio of poems. You’ll also receive a lifetime membership to ONLY POEMS, along with space to share your work and process through a quarterly column, an in-depth post-fellowship interview, and a featured portfolio on our website and socials.
In addition to the fellow, five finalists will receive $200 in workshop credits, and lifetime membership to ONLY POEMS.
We’ve published debut authors and Pulitzer winners, poets who work in libraries, bakeries, and NASA labs alike. We care about the work and the spirit behind it. We can’t wait to read your poetry.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- Open to anyone writing in English, anywhere in the world (with a special encouragement to poets submitting from outside North America).
- Send us 5-10 pages of poetry, with each poem starting on a new page.
- At least one poem must be recent and unpublished. Other poems may have appeared in journals, anthologies, or books — if so, please note in your cover letter where they were published. Self-published pieces (blogs, social media, personal sites) are also welcome.
- We encourage simultaneous submissions. You do not need to withdraw your work if poems are accepted elsewhere — even if your whole packet gets picked up, that won’t disqualify you. Multiple submissions are allowed.
- Deadline: August 31
- We love reading cover letters. You are welcome to share a brief note or statement on why you’re applying for this fellowship and what you’d like to get out of it as well as your publication history, though these are read only after the decisions are made and do not influence the outcome. Please make sure that the document of your poems is stripped of any biographical information—use the cover letter field on Submittable for this.
- Submission Fee: $18
- Each submission comes with a one-month Best membership to Chill Subs (thanks to their Contest Transparency Partnership) and a one-month ONLY POEMS Membership. We want every poet who submits to our prizes to receive more than just a contest entry.
- Still, if the fee is a barrier to you, please refer to out waiver policy here.
- Judging process: Each submission is read by at least 3 readers. The ones that move to the next round are read by 5 more readers. Longlist is read by our full team of 35+ readers and Editors. Shortlist is discussed by the Editors. Final decisions for the winner & finalists are made by Bob Hicok.
- Judging criteria: In evaluating submissions, we look for originality, strength of voice, emotional depth, and cohesion across the packet, as well as promise for growth during the fellowship year.
- Timeline: We respond to everyone by the end of November. The Fellow, finalists, and honorable mentions will be announced in December. The Fellowship period runs throughout the following calendar year. The first ever Bob Hicok Fellow will work with us throughout 2026!
- We believe poets deserve more than critique; they deserve investment, opportunity, and community. We aim for the Fellowship to be a space of learning, generosity, and artistic growth. We take seriously the responsibility of being entrusted with your work. Read our Transparency & Fairness here.