Submit to 53rd Dudley Randall Poetry Prize competition

Submit to 53rd Dudley Randall Poetry Prize competition

Detroit Mercy undergraduate students, now is the time to submit your poetry work for the 53rd installment of the Dudley Randall Poetry Prize competition!

Poet, publisher and University of Detroit Mercy librarian and poet-in-residence Dudley Randall
Dudley Randall

Each year, the Detroit Mercy English Department honors Dudley Randall, the late poet, publisher, and University of Detroit Mercy librarian and poet-in-residence, by sponsoring a poetry competition in his name. Now in its 53rd year, the prize continues Dudley Randall’s legacy of amplifying creative voices within the Detroit Mercy community.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Feb. 10. The first prize is $150, second prize earns $75 and third prize receives $50. The winner of the first prize must be available to read their winning poem at the Honors Convocation on March 26.

Each student is eligible to submit one piece of poetry work 55 lines or fewer — with all topics and poetic forms welcome.

With any questions, please contact Detroit Mercy’s poet-in-residence Stacy Gnall at gnallsc@udmercy.edu. The 2023 Dudley Randall Poetry Prize judges are Marcello Hernandez Castillo, Emily Corwin and Tyehimba Jess.

Find out more about the Dudley Randall Poetry Prize and read winning poems from previous years.

Submit your poem.

Mehar Soni reads from a podium indoors as the winner of the Dudley Randall Poetry Prize in 2022.
Mehar Soni was the winner of the competition in 2022.