Today is the festival of Bealtaine in Ireland, the mid-point between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice – it marks the start of summer and is generally regarded as a time of optimism and growth. What better time to send your work out to one of over 120 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunities open or with deadlines in May 2019?!
And, as if the start of Summer weren’t enough to celebrate, tomorrow is also National Poetry Day in Ireland, with events throughout the country. I’m delighted to say my poem ‘English Lessons With a Polish Colleague on the Blessington Bus’ is one of several selected by Poetry Ireland to promote this year’s theme of ‘Truth or Dare’, alongside Vona Groarke, Jean O’Brien, Colette Bryce, Eleanor Hooker, Maurice Devitt, Liz Quirke, Stephanie Conn and more. The poems are featured on the Poetry Ireland website, their pocket poetry postcard series and on public transport around Ireland!
I have a couple of signed copies of my postcard poem to give away – if you’d like a chance of winning one, simply pop over to the Poetry Ireland Discover Poetry page and tell me which is your favourite Truth or Dare poem.
Send your answer by email to angela (@) angelatcarr (dot) com, with ‘TRUTH OR DARE’ in the subject line. Please include your name and postal address. Names will be drawn at random on 8th May and the winners announced on the blog and social media.
Happy National Poetry Day! And whether you’re writing or submitting poems this month, I wish you the very best of luck!
May 2019
Poetry London Clore Prize – Poetry – closes 1 May (submit online)
Skylight 47 – Poetry, theme: Language, Landscape & Migration – closes 1 May (submit online)
Storyscape Journal – Poetry, Prose, Art – closes 1 May (submit online)
The Mairtin Crawford Award – Poetry, Fiction – closes 1 May (submit online)
The Blue Nib – Poetry, Fiction, Essay – closes 1 May (submit online)
Waltraud Field International Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 1 May (submit online)
Magma – Poetry, theme: Loss – DEADLINE EXTENDED – closes 2 May (submit online)
Poetry Jukebox: EPIC – Poetry, theme: Hunger & Migration – closes 3 May (submit online)
Wexford Literary Festival Awards – Poetry, Fiction, Drama – closes 4 May (submit online)
Cordite Poetry Review – Poetry – closes 5 May (submit online)
Writers’ Digest Annual Writing Competitions – Poetry, Fiction, Memoir, Essay, Drama and more – closes 6 May (submit online)
Dromineer Literary Festival Writer-in-Residence – All genres – closes 7 May (submit online)
The Stinging Fly Summer School – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 9 May (submit online)
Bennington Review – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction – closes 15 May (submit online)
Breadcrumbs – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 15 May (submit online)
Crab Creek Review Poetry Contest – Poetry – closes 15 May (submit online)
Hedgehog Press Handwritten Poem – Poetry, theme: Your Best Friend/Pets – closes 15 May (submit online)
Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 15 May (submit online)
Pleiades Press Editors’ Prize for Poetry – Poetry – closes 15 May (submit online)
Ploughshares Emerging Writers; Contest – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – closes 15 May (submit online)
The Boiler Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Essay – closes 15 May (submit online)
Vallum – Poetry, theme: Fear – closes 15 May (submit online)
Visual Verse – Poetry, Flash, Non-Fiction – closes 15 May (submit online)
Abridged: Issue 0-404 – Poetry, theme: Delete – closes 19 May (submit online)
Antithesis – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art and more, theme: Devotion – closes 19 May (submit online)
New Letters Writing Contests – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – closes 20 May (submit online)
Mental Health Narrative Project – All genres – closes 21 May (submit online)
The A3 Review – Poetry, Flash, Art, theme: Four – closes 25 May (submit online)
Iota Shot Pamphlet Award – Poetry manuscript (16-20 pages) – closes 28 May (submit online)
Granta – Poetry – closes 28 May (submit online)
AGNI – Poetry, Fiction, Essay – closes 31 May (submit online)
Coast to Coast to Coast – Poetry – closes 31 May (submit online)
Crazyhorse – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 31 May (submit online)
Frogmore Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 31 May (submit online)
Hedgehog Press: Conversationally Yours – Poetry manuscripts, 2 poets (20 pages max.) – closes 31 May (submit online)
Hedgehog Press: Selected or Neglected – Poetry manuscripts (40 pages) – closes 31 May (submit online)
LitMag – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction – closes 31 May (submit online)
Longleaf Review – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction – closes 31 May (submit online)
River Styx International Poetry Contest – Poetry – closes 31 May (submit online)
Sentinal Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 31 May (submit online)
Strix – Poetry, Fiction, Flash – closes 31 May (submit online)
The A3 Press Chapbooks – Poetry manuscript (12 pages) – closes 31 May (submit online)
The Bridport Prize – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Novel – closes 31 May (submit online)
The Gettysburg Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essay – closes 31 May (submit online)
The Lord Whisky Sanctuary Fund Poetry Competition – Poetry, theme: Sanctuary – closes 31 May (submit online)
Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize – Poetry (17-24 pages) – closes 31 May (submit online)
Willow Springs – Poetry, Fiction, Flash – closes 31 May (submit online)
ZYZZYVA – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 31 May (submit online)
Breakwater Review – Poetry, Prose, Art, theme: Climate Change – closes 1 June (submit online)
Helen Literary Magazine – Poetry, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, Art and more – closes 1 June (submit online)
Marsden the Poetry Village Competition – Poetry, theme: Together – closes 1 June (submit online)
Creative Future Writers’ Award – Poetry, Fiction, theme: Home – closes 2 June (submit online)
JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH RECURRING DEADLINES
Ó Bhéal Five Words – Poetry – deadline each week, annual prize (submit online)
Rattle: Poets Respond – Poetry, theme: current events – deadline each week (submit online)
JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH OPEN SUBMISSION PERIODS IN MAY:
Into the Void – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction – closes 7 June (submit online)
The Honest Ulsterman – Poetry, Fiction, Critical Writing – closes 7 June (submit online)
Fool for Poetry Chapbook Competition – Poetry manuscript (16-24 pages) – closes 30 June (submit online)
Poetry Birmingham – Poetry, Hybrid Forms – closes 30 June (submit online)
2 Elizabeths – Poetry, Fiction, Flash – open (submit online)
400 & Falling – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Artwork (emerging writers) – (submit online)
Acumen – Poetry – open (submit online)
Agenda – Poetry, Essays, Reviews – open (submit online)
Amaryllis – Poetry – open (submit online)
Apple Picking Press – Poetry – open (submit online)
A New Ulster – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
Antiphon – Poetry – open (submit online)
Apartment Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)
Atrium – Poetry – open (submit online)
Bear Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Artwork – open (submit online)
Brittle Star – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)
By and By Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)
Carve Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Cheat River Review – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Disclaimer Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Journalism, themes: Politics, Economics, Art – open (submit online)
Driftwood Press – Poetry, Fiction, Literary Criticism – open (submit online)
Fields Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
FIVE:2:ONE – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Artwork by underrepresented writers (POC, LGTBQ, non-binary, neurodivergent, trauma survivors etc.) – open (submit online)
GFT Press – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-fiction – open (submit online)
Gravel – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-Fiction, Artwork – open (submit by post)
Guernica – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Photo Essays – open (submit by post)
HCE Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Photo Essays – open (submit online)
Hosking Houses Trust Residencies – Women writers over 40 (all genres – must have contract to publish / broadcast / perform) – open (submit online)
I Am Not A Silent Poet – Poetry, theme: protesting abuse – open (submit online)
Idler – Poetry, Fiction, Essays – open (submit online)
Inside the Bell Jar – Poetry, Fiction, theme: mental illness – open (submit online)
Irish Literary Review – Poetry – open (submit online)
Lighthouse Literary Journal – Poetry & Short Fiction – open (submit online)
LitMag – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Essays – open (submit online)
Memorius – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)
New Contrast – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)
Noepe Center Residency Program – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Memoir, Plays – open (submit online)
One – Poetry, a single poem – open (submit online)
PANK – Poetry – open (submit online)
Poetry Ireland Review – Poetry – open (submit by post)
Poetry Saltzburg – Poetry – open (submit by post or online)
Peepal Tree Press – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction manuscripts from Black & Carribean writers – open (submit online)
Rattle – Poetry – open (submit by post and online)
Riggwelter – Poetry, Short Fiction, Visual Art – open (submit online)
Shakespeare & Co Tumbleweeds Residency – all writers – open (submit online)
South Bank Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)
Spry Literary Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
Squawk Back – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Reviews, Plays – open (submit online)
Stepaway Magazine – Poetry, Flash Fiction, theme: walking in the city – open (submit online)
The American Journal of Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)
The Brooklyn Quarterly – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Humour – open (submit online)
The Cardiff Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Flash (preference given to students and unpublished graduates of Creative Writing, English Literature & Journalism) – open (submit online)
The Collapsar – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
The Curlew – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, theme: the natural world – open (submit online)
The Curly Mind – Poetry, theme: experimental – open (submit online)
The Ellis Review – Poetry, published weekly – open (submit online)
The Galway Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Reviews, Plays – open (submit online)
The Great American Literary Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Reviews, Plays – open (submit online)
The Lake – Poetry – open (submit online)
The Lascaux Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essays – open (submit online)
The MacGuffin – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
The Missouri Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
The Next Review – Poetry, Fiction, Reviews – open (submit online)
The Nottingham Review – Poetry & Fiction – open (submit online)
The Ofi Press Magazine – Poetry & Short Fiction – open (submit online)
The Quill Magazine – Poetry, Prose, All Genres (new writers only) – open (submit online)
The Sea Letter – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
The Selkie – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Features (marginalised and/or under-represented voices incl. women (or identify as), people of colour, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and more) – open (submit online)
The Southeast Review – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Reviews, Artwork – open (submit online)
The Sun Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Interviews – open (submit online)
Three Drops From a Cauldron – Poetry, Flash, theme: Myth, Folklore, Fables, Fairytales – open (submit online)
Tinderbox Poetry Journal – Poetry – open (submit online)
Vending Machine Press – Poetry, Flash, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Essay – open (submit online)
Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Best of luck!
If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in May 2019, and it is not included above, feel free to add the details with a link in the comments section below!
(Illustration by Nicole Ray via Etsy)
If you’re stuck for a perfect gift for the poet in your life – or want to drop a hint to Santa for yourself – gift vouchers are available for my 
