This award honors the late Poet Laureate of Colorado, Thomas Hornsby Ferril, who was a longtime Denver Press Club member and Laureate from 1979 until his death in 1988. The prize is awarded by the Press Club for a collection of three poems by a Colorado poet, and is sponsored by the Lighthouse Writer's Workshop, which is housed in Ferril's historic landmark home in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood. The award ceremony is held in conjunction with the Press Club’s annual Ferril benefit reading, which will be held on May 22, 2009.

Past Ferril Benefit readers have included: Colorado Poet Laureate, Mary Crow; Denver Poet Laureate, Chris Ransick; Former Governor and First Lady, Dick and Dottie Lamm; the Colorado Poetry Slam Team; and more...

There are two entry categories: Student and Professional. The entry fee for students is $10 and for professionals is $20. Two cash prizes will be given in each category, $150 and $100. 

RULES FOR ENTRY

1. All contestants must be residents of Colorado.

2. A maximum of three unpublished poems may be submitted as a collection and a maximum of six pages.

3. Only one collection per poet may be submitted.

4. All submissions must be postmarked no later than January 31, 2009.

5. Winners will be notified by April 15, 2009. Awards will be given on May 22, 2009 at the Denver Press Club Ferril Benefit Reading.

6. Submit three copies of your collection with no identifying author information. All contact information should be listed only on the entry form. Poems should be typed in black ink, on white, 8 1/2" X 11" paper. Handwritten submissions will not be considered. Type should be a reasonable size.

7. Each submission must be accompanied by the appropriate entry fee and a completed entry form. Make checks payable to the Denver Press Club.

8. Student submissions MUST include verification of enrollment or a photocopy of current high school or college student identification. Student submissions without such documentation will be disqualified.

9. Submitted materials will not be returned.

10. All decisions of the judges are final.

TO ENTER:

Download the PDF Entry Form and mail it, with your submissions, entry fee, and any required documentation to:

Ferril Poetry Prize

c/o The Denver Press Club

1330 Glenarm

Denver, Colorado 80204

If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you will not be able to download the Entry Form. To get a free copy of Acrobat Reader, click here.

2007 Winners:

Professional:

Claudia Manz, Boulder, Colorado for:

Black Mountain

Sunshine Dempsey, Longmont, Colorado for:

Feeding

Niwot

Lovers Will Bathe

Tripp, Denver, Colorado for:

So I always . . .

Token I smile . . .

She told me . . .