The Caribbean Poetry Book Series: Calabash at Brown University is now accepting submissions for the Neville Dawes First Book Prize for Emerging Caribbean Poets! The annual contest runs from September 15th through December 1st.

The prize celebrates emerging Caribbean voices with a $1,000 USD cash award and publication of a full-length manuscript by the University of Nebraska Press. There is no reading fee to submit.

The prize honors Neville Dawes (1926-1984), a Jamaican writer and educator who was born in Nigeria to Jamaican parents and grew up in rural Sturge Town, Jamaica. After earning an MA at Oxford, he taught across Jamaica, Ghana, and Guyana. He authored two novels, The Last Enchantment and Interim, and produced Prolegomena to West Indian Literature, along with Fugue and Other Writings, which collected his poetry, short stories, autobiographical pieces, and criticism. Dawes is the father of author and editor Kwame Dawes.

Eligibility

The prize is open to Caribbean writers (defined as individuals born in the Caribbean, nationals or residents of Caribbean countries, or those with Caribbean parents) who have not yet published a book-length poetry collection. This includes self-published volumes if they were distributed online, in stores, or at readings. Writers who have edited or published anthologies or collections of other writers’ work remain eligible. Poets may reside anywhere in the world.

Only poetry in English will be considered. Translated work is accepted, though a portion of the prize will be awarded to the translator.

Current or former paid employees of the University of Nebraska Press, Akashic Books, or current faculty, students, or employees of Brown University are ineligible.

Submission Guidelines

  • Manuscript Format: Poetry manuscripts must be at least 50 pages long. Submit with a cover page listing only the manuscript title (no author name, address, phone number, or email). The author’s name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript to ensure anonymous reading. An acknowledgements page noting the publication history of individual poems may be included if desired. No application forms are necessary.
  • Formatting: While there are no strict rules, the organizers suggest using Times New Roman or Arial in 12-point font, single-spaced, with one poem per page.
  • Submission Process: The prize accepts electronic submissions only via Submittable. Eligible writers may submit more than one manuscript.

For questions or additional information, contact [email protected]