.png)
$3500 LEONARD COHEN POETRY PRIZE
$1000 x 1 Winner
$250 x 10 Finalists
THEME: LOVE, FAITH, & SEX
Submission Period: September 21 - November 7
Results Announced: January
Winners Published: February
Poet, novelist, singer, songwriter, artist, music producer, and Buddhist monk, Leonard Cohen has won countless hearts.
I found his music six years ago and haven't listened to much else since. Now every morning when I drop my daughter off to preschool, she and I sing along to “Suzanne” on the way. Having spent countless hours with the Leonard Cohen Archive at the University of Toronto, I’m in awe of the devotion he had for his craft, blackening page after page.
His ability to blend the sacred and the profane, the spiritual and the sensual remains unmatched. We are indebted to him for bridging the world of literature with the world of music.
A couple of times in concerts, he sang this two-liner: “no, it wasn't any good, there's no reason why you should remember me” while having given us a million reasons to remember him.
We hope this will push people who are aware of Cohen's genius as a musician to turn to his poetry. It gives us deep honor to name this prize after the one and only Leonard Cohen and carry a part of his infinite legacy on our slim shoulders.
As Leonard would say, forgive the poverty of these words for they do not reflect the abundance of our gratitude.
—Karan Kapoor, Editor-in-Chief, ONLY POEMS
I found his music six years ago and haven't listened to much else since. Now every morning when I drop my daughter off to preschool, she and I sing along to “Suzanne” on the way. Having spent countless hours with the Leonard Cohen Archive at the University of Toronto, I’m in awe of the devotion he had for his craft, blackening page after page.
His ability to blend the sacred and the profane, the spiritual and the sensual remains unmatched. We are indebted to him for bridging the world of literature with the world of music.
A couple of times in concerts, he sang this two-liner: “no, it wasn't any good, there's no reason why you should remember me” while having given us a million reasons to remember him.
We hope this will push people who are aware of Cohen's genius as a musician to turn to his poetry. It gives us deep honor to name this prize after the one and only Leonard Cohen and carry a part of his infinite legacy on our slim shoulders.
As Leonard would say, forgive the poverty of these words for they do not reflect the abundance of our gratitude.
—Karan Kapoor, Editor-in-Chief, ONLY POEMS
The Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize will open each year from September 21 to November 7 (LC’s birth anniversary to death anniversary). $1000 will be awarded to a poem that explores the intersection of love, faith, and sex. 10 finalists will each be awarded $250.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- Send us up to 3 pages of poetry.
- Each poem starts on a new page.
- In the spirit of Leonard Cohen, we ask that your poems deal in some way with the intersections of Love, Faith, & Sex.
- Open to anyone writing in English, anywhere in the world (with a special encouragement to poets submitting from outside North America).
- We only accept previously unpublished work. Self-published pieces (blogs, social media, personal sites) are welcome, but poems published in journals, anthologies, or books are not eligible.
- Please withdraw your poems if they get accepted elsewhere.
- We love reading cover letters. You’re welcome to share your love for Leonard Cohen, or your publication history, if any, 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 the Editor-in-Chief, Karan Kapoor.
- Judging criteria: In evaluating submissions, we look for originality, emotional intensity, musicality of language, and a deep engagement with the themes of Love, Faith, and Sex.
- Timeline: We respond to everyone before the end of this January. Winner, Finalists, and Honorable Mentions are announced and published in February.
- Read our statement on Transparency & Fairness here.
SEE OUR OTHER CONTESTS
The interlocking hearts symbol Leonard Cohen designed for Book of Mercy encapsulates his vision of unity and purpose. When I learned about his concept of the Order of the Unified Heart, I was deeply moved. “A kind of dream of an order,” as Cohen put it in his interview with Sarah Hampson. “There is no organization. There’s no hierarchy. There’s just a pin for people of a very broadly designated similar intent.” There’s something magical about how he could take such profound ideas and express them with disarming simplicity. I like to think this symbol merges all binaries and shows also the interconnectedness of poetry and music. Like the interlocking hearts, Cohen’s words continue to unify and inspire us.
Disclaimer: The Leonard Cohen Family Trust does not endorse this award, ONLY POEMS, the prize winners, or their poems.
Thanks to their generosity, we’ve been able to name this priz
Disclaimer: The Leonard Cohen Family Trust does not endorse this award, ONLY POEMS, the prize winners, or their poems.
Thanks to their generosity, we’ve been able to name this priz
OUR FAVORITE LEONARD COHEN PIECES TO INSPIRE YOU
Suzanne from “Songs of Leonard Cohen” (Columbia Records, 1967)
For Anne
With Annie gone,
whose eyes to compare
with the morning sun?
Not that Idid compare,
But I do compare
Now that she's gone.
The Spice-Box of Earth, Leonard Cohen
(McClelland And Stewart 1961)
With Annie gone,
whose eyes to compare
with the morning sun?
Not that Idid compare,
But I do compare
Now that she's gone.
The Spice-Box of Earth, Leonard Cohen
(McClelland And Stewart 1961)
“Avoid the flourish. Do not be afraid to be weak.
Do not be ashamed to be tired. You look good
when you’re tired. You look like you could go on
forever. Now come into my arms. You are the
image of my beauty .”
How to Speak Poetry by Leonard Cohen
Do not be ashamed to be tired. You look good
when you’re tired. You look like you could go on
forever. Now come into my arms. You are the
image of my beauty .”
How to Speak Poetry by Leonard Cohen
When you call me close
to tell me
your body is not beautiful
I want to summon
the eyes and hidden mouths
of stone and light and water
to testify against you.
from “Beneath My Hands,” Selected Poems, 1956-1968 by Leonard Cohen (Bantam Books, 1971)
to tell me
your body is not beautiful
I want to summon
the eyes and hidden mouths
of stone and light and water
to testify against you.
from “Beneath My Hands,” Selected Poems, 1956-1968 by Leonard Cohen (Bantam Books, 1971)
“Deprivation is the mother of poetry.”
The Favourite Game, Leonard Cohen
(Secker & Warburg, 1963)
The Favourite Game, Leonard Cohen
(Secker & Warburg, 1963)
Here’s a Playlist of our favourite Leonard Cohen songs