Detroit Poetry Archive - $200 Poetry Contest

The Detroit Poetry Archive invites poets to submit original work for a $200 poetry contest rooted in both the written page and the performed voice. This contest honors poetry as it lives in bodies, rooms, memories, stages, and communities.

Submissions will be evaluated based on the strength of the writing. If selected as the winner, the winner will perform at the opening event for the Detroit Poetry Archive. Selected poets will receive $200 in recognition of their contribution to documenting and shaping Detroit’s poetic legacy.

This project is fiscally sponsored by Allied Media Projects and is produced by Eye N Eye. In partnership with Black Bottom Archives, EYE N EYE is a 2025–26 Preserving Black Legacy Fellow, and this fellowship support makes this contest possible.

The winner will perform at the Detroit Poetry Archive Opening Event July 2026 (more details to come)

The Prompt

What is the Detroit poetry scene to you?

Go deep. This is not just about a single poem, but about lived experience, memory, and movement. Your submission should reflect your relationship to Detroit poetry and your understanding of its past, present, and future.

Your piece should thoughtfully engage the following themes. You don't need to answer each one separately, but your work should definitely touch on them in your own voice and style.

  • Your early beginnings and personal entry into the Detroit poetry scene
    The spaces, venues, events, and rooms that shaped your experience

  • Artistic influences, including poets, elders, collaborators, collectives, and movements that shaped your work

  • How has the Detroit poetry scene has evolved during your time within it

  • Challenges within the Detroit poetry community and reflections on its health, sustainability, and care

  • What do you believe must be included in the Detroit Poetry Archive

  • Your own community impact as a poet

  • The cultural significance of Detroit poetry to the city and to the world

  • Where do you see the Detroit poetry scene going next

We are especially interested in work that reflects truth, specificity, and care for lineage. Detroit poetry has always been more than performance. It is archive, resistance, joy, labor, mentorship, and legacy.

who can apply?

  • Detroit-based poets or poets with a clear and demonstrated relationship to Detroit poetry spaces

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

  • One original written poem (1-2 pages)

  • Written version as PDF

  • Email submissions to: eyeneyellc@gmail.com (Subject: DPA - $200) File: First Name _ Last Name

DEADLINE

  • Submissions due March 31, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST

SELECTION PROCESS

  • Poems will be reviewed 3 weeks after the deadline. The winner will be contacted via email and on social media.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I WIN?

  • You will be given a $200 honorarium

  • The winner will perform at the Detroit Poetry Archive Opening Event July 2026 (more details to come)

  • Your written poem/performance will be featured in the Detroit Poetry Archive

ACCESSIBILITY AND CARE

  • If you need accommodations or support to submit, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me here (eyeneyellc@gmail.com)

By submitting, you are contributing to the ongoing preservation and living memory of Detroit poetry.

This is not just a contest.
It is a record.
It is a reflection.
It is an offering to the archive.