The Foster Poetry Prize 2026
Location
Canada / International
Open to
Emerging poets of any age who have not published a full-length book of poetry. Chapbooks are permitted. Open to Canadian and international poets.
Application Fee
First entry: $35 (includes a 1-year subscription)
Additional entries: $20 each
For contest entrants residing in the US, the subscription term is 9 months (3 issues). For international residents, the subscription term is 3 months (1 issue).
What’s Provided
Winner receives a $1,000 prize and publication in CV2.
Second and third place winners, as well as an honourable mention recipient, receive cash prizes and publication in CV2.
Winning pieces will be published in CV2 magazine, and authors will be paid for publication.
What the Artist/Applicant Must Cover
Submit 1–2 poems, not exceeding 80 lines total.
Early Bird submissions may include a third poem free of charge; the additional poem must not exceed 28 lines.
Poems must be original, unpublished, not submitted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, not accepted elsewhere, and not entered simultaneously in another eligible contest.
Entries must be submitted through Submittable in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format. PDFs are not accepted.
Formatting requirements: 8.5" × 11" page size, single spacing, and 12-point font (Times New Roman preferred).
The applicant’s name must not appear in the poem attachment. Name and address information must be entered in the Submittable form.
Cover letter space should include poem title(s) and line count.
Duration
Not applicable.
Deadline
Early Bird Deadline: October 1, 2026 (submit by this date to include one additional poem free of charge).
Final Deadline: November 1, 2026.
Submission period closes November 2, 2026 at 9:30 AM.
Other Essential Notes
Submissions are accepted only online through Submittable.
Contemporary Verse 2 accepts submissions from October 1–November 30 and February 1–May 31.
Each submitter may make a maximum of two submissions per year and only one active submission at a time.
Winners will be notified by email, and results will be available on the CV2 website in January 2027.
