April is National Poetry Month! PoemTown Randolph is looking forward to its 13th year! The PoemTown team has opened up solicitation of original poetry to be considered for publication on broadsides to be posted in windows on the streets of Randolph and along the river trail during the month of April 2026, and to be featured in the 13th print anthology, PoemTown Randolph 2026.
All poets submitting to PoemTown Randolph are also eligible to apply for the third year of our writer grants. You may apply if you did not receive one of our grants in the previous two years. If you are interested in applying, please go to the form here – https://tinyurl.com/5n8cmt7s. The grant application deadline is 2/28/26.
Instructions for Submission:
Please follow these instructions carefully. Failure to abide by these instructions may result in automatic rejection of poems.
- The deadline for submission is February 15, 2026.
- PoemTown accepts submissions from poets of any age residing in Vermont.
- Please do not submit poems previously selected by PoemTown Randolph.
- Do not submit poems that have previously been published elsewhere in print or online.
- Do not submit poems that have previously been displayed in any PoemTown or PoemCity celebrations.
- Submissions are limited to two original poems.
- Poems are limited to 24 lines, including title.
Type the name of the poet and town of residence at the bottom of each poem – DO NOT include “VT” as part of the town name. (This information is not shared with the judges of the poems, but is helpful when the chosen poems are submitted to the designer who prepares the broadsides and the published anthology.)
Poems must be submitted by email to musbird@gmail.com with PoemTown 2025 in the subject line. Each poem must be attached as a separate document in .doc, .docx, or .rtf file formats. The document name shall be the title of the poem. PDF files will not be accepted.
In the text of the email, include the poet’s contact information: name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number.
Poets without access to email should contact Janet Watton at 802-728-9402 by February 15, 2025 to request an alternate submission process.
* Accepted poems will automatically be published in the PoemTown 2026 anthology. Poets who do not wish to have their poems published in the anthology must state this exemption in their submission email.
* By sending work to PoemTown Randolph 2026, poets agree that PoemTown may use any poem in display, in promotional materials, and in associated online, print and other media. Poets will be credited for their work in all places their poems appear.
