Contests

The Ouroborealis Poetry Prize

ouroboros x aurora borealis- A cycle of dazzling lights emitted In CHAOTIC Transition

We are thrilled to launch our very first poetry contest alongside our inaugural issue! As a budding non-profit experimental literary magazine, we’re excited to discover fresh and surprising voices with a distinct perspective. This year’s theme: “Metamorphic Outliers”. Please treat this theme as a creative lens, not the literal subject.

  • Closes January 1, 2027, 11:59 p.m. EST.

  • We seeded the prize pool with the first $50. Every finished $10 entry feeds the pot. The number on this page reflects the prize pool as it currently stands.

  • Winners notified in February. Public announcement March 1, 2027.

Live prize pool
$50
$30 grand prize (60%)
$10 honorable mention (20%)
0 paid poems

Prizes

One grand prize winner, and one honorable mention will be selected.

All entries go directly into the prize pool. 60% will be awarded to the grand prize winner. 20% will be awarded to the honorable mention. And the remaining 20% will cover administrative costs, Stripe processing fees, and print operations.

Both awarded poems will be featured in the next issue that The Columbus Review publishes.

Entry Fee

$10 per poem, paid on the next screen after the file upload.

One poem, per file, per entry fee.

To submit additional poems, complete the form and pay the entry fee again.

Contest Guidelines

  • Submit one piece per $10 entry free and complete the contest submission form.

  • Each poem should fit comfortably on one page (40 lines of text maximum) for an ideal layout.

  • We’re looking for work that reaches beyond a haiku, (5-line minimum) but longer is wonderful.

Rights

The Columbus Review acquires First North American Serial Rights for all accepted contest work. All rights revert to the author immediately upon publication. We do not offer additional monetary compensation beyond the stated prize pool.

Eligibility

  • Previously unpublished work only.

  • Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please notify us immediately
    if the piece is accepted elsewhere.

  • We accept multiple entries per writer ($10 entry fee, each submission).

  • One poem, per file, per $10 entry fee

  • Open to writers residing in North America.

Bona Fortuna.