Visit our Poetry d'Amour webpage to learn more about this contest and prizes.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

The 2026 Poetry d’Amour Love Poetry Contest is part of Poetry d’Amour 2026 and is coordinated by WA Poets Inc. (WAPoets) at their discretion.

General Conditions

• Unpublished refers to poems that have NOT appeared in print or online as part of an electronic journal or poetry blog that specialises in publishing other people’s poetry.
• An independent judge will be responsible for judging entries and ranking selections for inclusion in the anthology Poetry d’Amour 2026.
• All entries will be judged anonymously (each poem will be allocated a unique reference number).
• The name of the judge will not be revealed to entrants until after judging is complete.
• The judge’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
• Entry fees are non-refundable.
• No entry will be considered for judging until after payment has been received.
• Prizes do not include accommodation or travel costs.
• A maximum of four poems per poet can be submitted for judging.
• Formatting requirements: 
  • 12-point Times New Roman font
  • Single line spacing
  • Maximum length: 40 lines
  • A4 format with left and right margins not less than 1.25 inches (3.17 cm)
  • Must suit the theme of “love”

      

Submission details:

• All entries must be submitted using the submission tool below and as Word documents.
• Please note: The deadline for submissions is midnight (Perth, Western Australia) on Sunday, 31 May 2026.
• Multiple entries can be submitted in one submission.
• Entrants must not infringe on existing copyright.
• In submitting an entry, the contestant agrees that WA Poets is not responsible for any copyright infringement that may occur and indemnifies WA Poets against any legal action that may arise because of such a breach.
• Each entrant can win only one prize.
• Entrants will be notified of the prize winners by email.
• WAPoets accepts no responsibility for entries that are late, lost, or misdirected, nor is WAPoets responsible in any way for entries that are stolen or misappropriated.
• (To be confirmed) Prizes will be awarded at the Perth Poetry Festival Awards Night at the 2026 Perth Poetry Festival, on Wednesday, 26 August at the City of Perth Library Theatre. Attendance in-person and online is free.
• All prize winners will be invited to read their winning entry on stage.
• (To be confirmed)  The Poetry d’Amour 2026 anthology is slated for launch on Saturday, 13 February 2027 at the annual Love Poetry Under the Stars event at The Wetlands Centre Cockburn Amphitheatre, and will be live-streamed for free to contest participants who register; low-priced tickets will be available for other online attendees. The main in-person event is ticketed.
• Non-cash prizes cannot be redeemed for cash.
• All prize winners agree to have their winning entry posted online on the WA Poets Inc website.
• To support a broad and equitable representation of poets in Poetry d’Amour 2026, a maximum of two poems per entrant may be selected for publication in the anthology. Where more than two poems by the same entrant are ranked for inclusion by the judge, the highest-ranked two poems will be selected for publication.
• Each entrant is eligible to receive one prize only. If more than one poem by the same entrant is ranked for a prize, the highest-ranked poem will receive the prize, and any other prize-ranked poem/s by that entrant may instead be considered for anthology publication only, subject to the anthology selection limits above.

Special Conditions Related to the Anthology

• Selected entries will be published, without payment, in the Poetry d’Amour 2026 anthology, which will be sold as a fundraiser for WA Poets Inc.
• Contest entrants will be eligible for a considerable discount when purchasing copies of the anthology.
• Poets have the option of opting their poem/s out of consideration for selection for the anthology Poetry d’Amour 2026 without prejudice.
• Entries for publication will be accepted “as is” or “subject to editorial review” in consultation with the entrant.
• Poets will have the opportunity to consent to suggested editorial changes or withdraw their poem/s at their discretion.
• Anthology selection is subject to the prize and anthology limits set out above. Where more than two poems by the same entrant are selected by the judge, only the highest-ranked two will be published in the anthology.
• Wherever a work is republished, Poetry d’Amour 2026 must be cited as the place of first publication.
• Copyright of entries remains with the poet.
• Copyright of the anthology remains with the publisher, WA Poets Publishing.