Announcing the Kierkegaard Poetry Competition

Writers are invited to submit their poems for a new anthology inspired by the writings of Søren Kierkegaard. Submission for the contest is free and the deadline is December 1, 2022. One poem of no more than 50 lines may be submitted per participant. All poems should be previously unpublished.

The contest is co-sponsored by Wiseblood Books and Dappled Things.

All winners will receive book publication in Homage to Søren Kierkegaard: An Anthology in Honor of Rev. Ronald F. Marshall. The five winners will receive cash prizes:

   First Place ($500)

   Second Place ($200)

   Third Prize winners (3 prizes at $100 each)

The contest will be judged by Dana Gioia and Mary Grace Mangano.

The anthology is being developed in honor of Rev. Ronald F. Marshall (1948-2021) who served as pastor at First Lutheran Church of West Seattle and taught theology at NW Theological Union. Marshall was a prolific reader and brilliant teacher, known for his community activism on behalf of the hungry and homeless. He also a published two major books on Søren Kierkegaard: Kierkegaard for the Church and Kierkegaard in the Pulpit: Sermons Inspired by His Writings.

In addition to the winning poems, the anthology, Homage to Søren Kierkegaard, will gather some previously published poems on Kierkegaard, including some of Marshall’s original poems.  In Rev. Marshall's journals, he copied quotes from Kierkegaard’s writings to serve as inspiration for his own poems, only a few of which he finished. Contest participants are encouraged, but not required, to use these quotes to inspire their own writing.

Homage to Søren Kierkegaard will be published by Wiseblood Books, in collaboration with the MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Saint Thomas in Houston. In honor of Rev. Ronald F. Marshall, his wife Jane Harty will contribute biographical information and oversee publication.

Click here to make your submission.