PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection Grant

PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: PEN America
Amount: US $5,000
Last Updated: July 19, 2025

Summary

The PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection, established by a bequest from Hunce Voelcker, is presented annually by PEN America to recognize a distinguished collection of poetry published in the calendar year. This award honors the importance of poetry collections as an art form and is open to all U.S. residents or citizens, regardless of age or poetic style, with a cash prize of $5,000. It aims to celebrate and expand the scope of American poetry.

Overview

PEN America Founded in 1922, PEN America is the largest of the more than 100 centers worldwide that make up the PEN International network. PEN America works to ensure that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to access the views, ideas, and literatures of others. Our strength is our Membership—a nationwide community of more than 4,500 novelists, journalists, nonfiction writers, editors, poets, essayists, playwrights, publishers, translators, agents, and other writing professionals, as well as devoted readers and supporters who join with them to carry out PEN America’s mission. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. PEN America Literary Awards Founded in 1963, the PEN America Literary Awards honor the most outstanding voices in literature across diverse genres, including fiction, poetry, science writing, essays, sports writing, biography, children’s literature, and drama. With the help of our partners, PEN America confers over 20 distinct awards, fellowships, and grants each year, awarding over $370,000 to writers and translators annually. The PEN America Literary Awards program celebrates literary excellence, encourages global discourse, champions important voices, and brings new books to life through our publication awards. From exciting new voices to underrecognized masters of their craft, PEN America honors challenging, thought-provoking, genre-defying writers. PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection The PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection, established by a bequest from Hunce Voelcker, is given annually to a poet whose distinguished collection of poetry, published in the applicable calendar year, represents a notable and accomplished literary presence. The work will have expanded the scope of American poetry. The annual award recognizes the importance of the poetry collection as an art form, with no restrictions on the career status of the poet. The award is for a permanent U.S. resident or citizen, of any age and writing in any poetic style, and carries a cash prize of $5,000. This award was previously administered as the biennial PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry. All winners, finalists, and longlisters for this award are eligible to receive PEN America’s official emblems.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. A candidate’s work must be a collection of poetry published by a U.S. trade publisher between January 1 and December 31 of the applicable calendar year. The book must be a series of individual poems published by a single living author. Anthologies with multiple authors are ineligible. Individual poems may have been previously published elsewhere; however, if the submitted book includes work previously published in a collection by the author, the submitted book should include significant new work. The author must be a permanent U.S. resident or citizen. If you submit a book for this award, you may not submit it for any additional PEN America Literary Award, with the exception of the PEN Open Book Award. Please note that the PEN/Faulkner Award is not considered a PEN America Literary Award.

Ineligibility

Self-published books are ineligible.Books with more than one original author are ineligible for the PEN America Literary Awards. Authors may not submit their own books.Writers who are also current PEN America staff or interns, trustees, or chairs of Member committees are not eligible for any of the Awards and/or Grants offered by the Literary Awards Program. Additionally, all current members of the Literary Awards Committee are ineligible.