There is no culture without language, and no great culture without great poetry. From the beginning, First Things has defended “the right ordering of public life” and worked to grow a flourishing contemporary culture from “the old roots,” to borrow a phrase from T.S. Eliot. This is why First Things has always published poetry in its pages and why we are pleased to launch an annual poetry prize with the generous support of the Tim & Judy Rudderow Foundation for a formally accomplished poem of up to forty lines.

The winner will be presented with a prize of $2,000. A runner-up will receive $1,000. Both poems will be published in First Things. Poems must be previously unpublished and should not be under consideration elsewhere.   

Amit Majmudar will serve as judge along with First Things poetry editor Micah Mattix and First Things editor R. R. Reno. Majmudar is the author of four volumes of poetry and the former Poet Laureate of Ohio. His most recent collection is What He Did in Solitary, which was published by Knopf in 2020.

Each entrant may submit up to two poems using the online form below. Please do not include your name or any identifying information in the submitted files.  Submissions must be received by June 30, 2024. Winners will be announced in August.