The Peseroff Prize Poetry Contest​

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“Whenever something new develops in poetry, many will argue, ‘That’s not poetry.’ Think of the reception of William Carlos Williams . . . spoken word poets, poets who incorporate graphics, poets who write in code so robots can read them. It’s all poetry.” –Joyce Peseroff

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The Peseroff Prize honors Joyce Peseroff’s work as a poet, teacher, editor, innovator, and mentor. She helped found the MFA Program in Creative Writing at the University of Massachusetts Boston, served as its first director, and retired from teaching in 2014.

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• Submissions window: March 1 to May 1, annually

• Prize: $1000 and publication in our next forthcoming issue

• Fee: $10

• Submit up to three poems comprised together in one file

• No restrictions on content or form: "it's all poetry."

 

Poems should be previously unpublished. All entries will be considered for publication. We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify Breakwater if submission is accepted elsewhere. 

 

Current Judge: Amanda Shea

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Prior judges include:

• Jake Skeets (2023)

• torrin a. greathouse (2022)

• Chen Chen (2021)​

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Please do not submit your work if you are associated with the MFA program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston or the Finalist Judge.

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The Breakwater Fiction Contest

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• Submissions: October 15 to December 1, annually

• Prize: $1000 and publication in our next forthcoming issue

• Fee: $10

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We are seeking submissions for pieces that breathe freshness to the form. We are interested in previously unpublished prose ranging from 1,000 - 4,000 words, each with a $10 entry fee. All entries will be considered for publication. We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify Breakwater if submission is accepted elsewhere.​ Please do not submit your work if you are associated with the MFA program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston or the Finalist Judge.

 

Current Judge: Ron MacLean​

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Prior judges include:

• Ron Currie (2023)

• Camille Bordas (2022)

• Chloe Aridjis (2021)

• Porochista Khakpour (2020)