• This prestigious national competition is open to all BYU undergraduate and graduate students enrolled full-time during fall or winter semester. Poems can be published, unpublished, or under consideration elsewhere.
  
  
• Contest Rules
  Submit 1-3 poems (no more than 5 pages total). Be sure that your name does not appear on the poems themselves.
• Poems must be written in English and the original work of the writer (no translations).
• No more than one submission per student. Multiple entries will disqualify all.
• Poems must be in PDF or DOCX format.
• Poems can be single or double spaced.
• Poems submitted to this contest cannot be simultaneously submitted to other BYU poetry contests.
• The contest is open to all BYU undergraduate and graduate students who are full-time during fall or winter semesters.
• Previous first-place winners in this contest are ineligible to enter again.
• Poems will be judged anonymously and all decisions will be final.
• One prize of $300 will be awarded for a single poem. 

Winner may be notified via telephone and/or E-mail. All others will receive E-mail notification only.

The winner of the Carolyn Barnes Poetry Contest will receive a $300 award.

About the Award

The Carolyn Barnes Contest is named after Carolyn Barnes, the late wife of Jim Barnes, a retired BYU faculty member who received the American Book Award and served as the poet laureate of Oklahoma in 2009-2010. The contest awards $300 to either an undergraduate or graduate student. 

Additional Notes

• Entries must be the original work of the student submitting and must not have been previously published or accepted for publication. The contest is open to both undergraduates and graduate students. 
• To qualify, an undergraduate student must be an English major, or have taken an English class during the previous fall semester, or be currently enrolled in an English class. Graduate students from any BYU program are welcome to enter. During the semester when the contest entries are due, an undergraduate student must be registered for at least 9 credit hours, and a graduate student must be registered for at least 6 credit hours.
• An entry may not be simultaneously submitted to any other BYU poetry or writing contests.
• Although an entry may treat any theme and be in any style, it must conform to standards of general good taste, as determined by the judges.
• A poet may enter as many as three poems (10-50 lines each), but the award will be given for a single poem. In other words, if you submit 3 poems, each poem will be considered on its own merit without reference to the other two. 
• Entries must be in pdf or docx format. The student’s name must not appear with the poems.
• Winners will be notified by mail or email. Awards will be made at the annual English Department Awards Banquet. Winners will be required to submit a W-9 form before monetary awards can be issued.
  

1. This contest awards $300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $150 for third place.

2. Entries must be the original work of the student submitting it and must not have been previously published or accepted for publication, although they may have been submitted for publication. 

3. The contest is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, with a separate division for each. To qualify, an undergraduate student must be an English major, or have taken an English class during the previous fall semester, or be currently enrolled in an English class.  Graduate students from any BYU program are welcome to enter. During the semester when the contest entries are due, an undergraduate student must be registered for at least 9 credit hours, and a graduate student must be registered for at least 6 credit hours. 

4. A student may submit only one entry. A student who wins first place in a contest is not eligible to enter that contest the following year. 

5. An entry may not be simultaneously submitted to any other BYU writing contest except the Writer's Portfolio Contest. 

6. Although an entry may treat any theme and be in any style, it must conform to standards of general good taste, as determined by the judges. 

7. Poetry entries must be between thirty and one hundred lines long but may consist of one or more poems. 

8. All entries must be in pdf or docx format. Carelessly edited entries will be summarily disqualified.

9. The student's name must not appear with the poems.

10. Winners will be notified by mail or email. Awards will be made at the annual English Department Awards Banquet. Winners will be required to submit a W-9 form before monetary awards can be issued.

1. This contest awards $300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $150 for third place. 

2. Entries must be the original work of the student submitting it and must not have been previously published or accepted for publication, although they may have been submitted for publication. 

3. The contest is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, with a separate division for each. To qualify, an undergraduate student must be an English major, or have taken an English class during the previous fall semester, or be currently enrolled in an English class.  Graduate students from any BYU program are welcome to enter. During the semester when the contest entries are due, an undergraduate student must be registered for at least 9 credit hours, and a graduate student must be registered for at least 6 credit hours. 

4. A student may submit only one entry. A student who wins first place in a contest is not eligible to enter that contest the following year. 

5. An entry may not be simultaneously submitted to any other BYU writing contest except the Writer's Portfolio Contest. 

6. Although an entry may treat any theme and be in any style, it must conform to standards of general good taste, as determined by the judges. 

7. Poetry entries must be between thirty and one hundred lines long but may consist of one or more poems. 

8. All entries must be in pdf or docx format. Carelessly edited entries will be summarily disqualified.

9. The student's name must not appear with the poems.

10. Winners will be notified by mail or email. Awards will be made at the annual English Department Awards Banquet. Winners will be required to submit a W-9 form before monetary awards can be issued.

1. This contest awards $300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $150 for third place. 

2. Entries must be the original work of the student submitting it and must not have been previously published or accepted for publication, although they may have been submitted for publication. 

3. The contest is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, with a separate division for each. To qualify, an undergraduate student must be an English major, or have taken an English class during the previous fall semester, or be currently enrolled in an English class.

4. Graduate students from any BYU program are welcome to enter. During the semester when the contest entries are due, an undergraduate student must be registered for at least 9 credit hours, and a graduate student must be registered for at least 6 credit hours. 

5. A student may submit only one entry. A student who wins first place in a contest is not eligible to enter that contest the following year. 

6. An entry may NOT be simultaneously submitted to any other BYU writing contest except the Writer's Portfolio Contest. 

7. Although an entry may treat any theme and be in any style, it must conform to standards of general good taste, as determined by the judges. 

8. Essays submitted may be on any subject but must be between 500 and 5,000 words long. Research papers are not eligible.

10. All entries must be in pdf or docx format. Carelessly edited entries will be summarily disqualified.

11. The student's name must not appear with the essay.

12. Winners will be notified by mail or email. Awards will be made at the annual English Department Awards Banquet. Winners will be required to submit a W-9 form before monetary awards can be issued.

1. This contest awards $300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $150 for third place. 

2. Entries must be the original work of the student submitting it and must not have been previously published or accepted for publication, although they may have been submitted for publication. 

3. The contest is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, with a separate division for each. To qualify, an undergraduate student must be an English major, or have taken an English class during the previous fall semester, or be currently enrolled in an English class.

4. Graduate students from any BYU program are welcome to enter. During the semester when the contest entries are due, an undergraduate student must be registered for at least 9 credit hours, and a graduate student must be registered for at least 6 credit hours. 

5. A student may submit only one entry. A student who wins first place in a contest is not eligible to enter that contest the following year. 

6. An entry may NOT be simultaneously submitted to any other BYU writing contest except the Writer's Portfolio Contest. 

7. Although an entry may treat any theme and be in any style, it must conform to standards of general good taste, as determined by the judges. 

8. Essays submitted may be on any subject but must be between 500 and 5,000 words long. Research papers are not eligible.

10. All entries must be in pdf or docx format. Carelessly edited entries will be summarily disqualified.

11. The student's name must not appear with the essay.

12. Winners will be notified by mail or email. Awards will be made at the annual English Department Awards Banquet. Winners will be required to submit a W-9 form before monetary awards can be issued.

1. This contest awards $300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $150 for third place.

 2. Entries must be the original work of the student submitting it and must not have been previously published or accepted for publication, although they may have been submitted for publication. 

3. The contest is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, with a separate division for each. To qualify, an undergraduate student must be an English major, or have taken an English class during the previous fall semester, or be currently enrolled in an English class.  Graduate students from any BYU program are welcome to enter. During the semester when the contest entries are due, an undergraduate student must be registered for at least 9 credit hours, and a graduate student must be registered for at least 6 credit hours. 

4. A student may submit only one entry. A student who wins first place in a contest is not eligible to enter that contest the following year. 

5. An entry may not be simultaneously submitted to any other BYU writing contest except the Writer's Portfolio Contest. 

6. Although an entry may treat any theme and be in any style, it must conform to standards of general good taste, as determined by the judges. 

7. Fiction submitted must be between 5 and 25 pages long, may be in the form of a short story, part of a novella, or chapter of a novel, and must be labeled as to form. Please do not submit whole novellas or novels. Parts of novellas or novels should be accompanied by a brief summary of the larger work.

8. All entries must be in pdf or docx format. Carelessly edited entries will be summarily disqualified.

9. The student's name must not appear with the fiction.

10. Winners will be notified by mail or email. Awards will be made at the annual English Department Awards Banquet. Winners will be required to submit a W-9 form before monetary awards can be issued. 

1. This contest awards $300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $150 for third place. 

2. Entries must be the original work of the student submitting it and must not have been previously published or accepted for publication, although they may have been submitted for publication. 

3. The contest is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, with a separate division for each. To qualify, an undergraduate student must be an English major, or have taken an English class during the previous fall semester, or be currently enrolled in an English class.  Graduate students from any BYU program are welcome to enter. During the semester when the contest entries are due, an undergraduate student must be registered for at least 9 credit hours, and a graduate student must be registered for at least 6 credit hours. 

4. A student may submit only one entry. A student who wins first place in a contest is not eligible to enter that contest the following year. 

5. An entry may not be simultaneously submitted to any other BYU writing contest except the Writer's Portfolio Contest. 

6. Although an entry may treat any theme and be in any style, it must conform to standards of general good taste, as determined by the judges. 

7. Fiction submitted must be between 5 and 25 pages long, may be in the form of a short story, part of a novella, or chapter of a novel, and must be labeled as to form. Please do not submit whole novellas or novels. Parts of novellas or novels should be accompanied by a brief summary of the larger work.

8. All entries must be in pdf or docx format. Carelessly edited entries will be summarily disqualified.

9. The student's name must not appear with the fiction.

10. Winners will be notified by mail or email. Awards will be made at the annual English Department Awards Banquet. Winners will be required to submit a W-9 form before monetary awards can be issued. 

Inscape is a smart, up–and–coming literary journal aiming to curate pieces that are both peculiar and gorgeous without compromising craftsmanship and excellence. Averse to gratuitous violence, language and sex, we look for pieces that treat sensitive subjects with maturity and respect. Our favorite submissions explore refreshing takes on both the fantastic and the everyday. As a staff firmly rooted in following Jesus Christ and His teachings, we hope for submissions from people of all religious perspectives, countries, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, backgrounds, and experiences. To anyone who wanders into our journal, we welcome you to Inscape, home of the bizarre, believing, and beautiful.

Inscape publishes well–crafted fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and visual art that embodies one or more of our five defining identities: smart, believing, peculiar, refreshing, and excellent.

Submission Guidelines:

1. Inscape curates fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts pieces. You may submit the following number of submissions per category: Poetry: 2, Fiction: 2, Creative Nonfiction: 2, Visual Arts: 5
2. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit them separately.
3. Literary submissions must be written in English and may not exceed 4,000 words.
4. Please submit your work as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.
5. Visual arts submissions must be scanned at 300 DPI or higher and saved as a .jpeg or .tiff image. Art submissions may include photography, paintings, drawings, digital art, sculpture, textile, etc. Performance art and musical scores will not be considered for publication.
6. Do not include your name in any of the attachments.
7. Do not submit previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know if your piece has been accepted somewhere else.
8. Current Inscape staff members may not be considered for publication. Staff members may submit their work in order to get blind feedback; however, you must talk to the chief editors prior to doing so.
9. We do not accept pieces that invoke the name of deity as an expletive.
10. We do not accept unsolicited craft essays, but we do accept inquiries from professionals in the arts. Contact our editors at inscape@byu.edu.  
11. Any submission that does not follow these guidelines will not be considered.

Reading Period: We accept submissions year-round. However, to be considered for a particular edition, please follow the deadlines below.

Fall 2023 Issue: submissions close October 20th, 2023

BYU Alumni Issue (Winter 2024): submissions close February 20th, 2024

Fall 2024 Issue: Submissions close February 20th, 2024

We carefully review every submission; this process often takes several months. For the Fall 2023 Issue, you can expect to hear back by December 20th, 2023. For the BYU Alumni and Fall 2024 Issue, you can expect to hear back by April 20th, 2024.

Inscape is a smart, up–and–coming literary journal aiming to curate pieces that are both peculiar and gorgeous without compromising craftsmanship and excellence. Averse to gratuitous violence, language and sex, we look for pieces that treat sensitive subjects with maturity and respect. Our favorite submissions explore refreshing takes on both the fantastic and the everyday. As a staff firmly rooted in following Jesus Christ and His teachings, we hope for submissions from people of all religious perspectives, countries, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, backgrounds, and experiences. To anyone who wanders into our journal, we welcome you to Inscape, home of the bizarre, believing, and beautiful.

Inscape publishes well–crafted fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and visual art that embodies one or more of our five defining identities: smart, believing, peculiar, refreshing, and excellent.

Submission Guidelines:

1. Inscape curates fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts pieces. You may submit the following number of submissions per category: Poetry: 2, Fiction: 2, Creative Nonfiction: 2, Visual Arts: 5
2. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit them separately.
3. Literary submissions must be written in English and may not exceed 4,000 words.
4. Please submit your work as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.
5. Visual arts submissions must be scanned at 300 DPI or higher and saved as a .jpeg or .tiff image. Art submissions may include photography, paintings, drawings, digital art, sculpture, textile, etc. Performance art and musical scores will not be considered for publication.
6. Do not include your name in any of the attachments.
7. Do not submit previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know if your piece has been accepted somewhere else.
8. Current Inscape staff members may not be considered for publication. Staff members may submit their work in order to get blind feedback; however, you must talk to the chief editors prior to doing so.
9. We do not accept pieces that invoke the name of deity as an expletive.
10. We do not accept unsolicited craft essays, but we do accept inquiries from professionals in the arts. Contact our editors at inscape@byu.edu.  
11. Any submission that does not follow these guidelines will not be considered.

Reading Period: We accept submissions year-round. However, to be considered for a particular edition, please follow the deadlines below.

Fall 2023 Issue: submissions close October 20th, 2023

BYU Alumni Issue (Winter 2024): submissions close February 20th, 2024

Fall 2024 Issue: Submissions close February 20th, 2024

We carefully review every submission; this process often takes several months. For the Fall 2023 Issue, you can expect to hear back by December 20th, 2023. For the BYU Alumni and Fall 2024 Issue, you can expect to hear back by April 20th, 2024.

Inscape is a smart, up–and–coming literary journal aiming to curate pieces that are both peculiar and gorgeous without compromising craftsmanship and excellence. Averse to gratuitous violence, language and sex, we look for pieces that treat sensitive subjects with maturity and respect. Our favorite submissions explore refreshing takes on both the fantastic and the everyday. As a staff firmly rooted in following Jesus Christ and His teachings, we hope for submissions from people of all religious perspectives, countries, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, backgrounds, and experiences. To anyone who wanders into our journal, we welcome you to Inscape, home of the bizarre, believing, and beautiful.

Inscape publishes well–crafted fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and visual art that embodies one or more of our five defining identities: smart, believing, peculiar, refreshing, and excellent.

Submission Guidelines:

1. Inscape curates fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts pieces. You may submit the following number of submissions per category: Poetry: 2, Fiction: 2, Creative Nonfiction: 2, Visual Arts: 5
2. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit them separately.
3. Literary submissions must be written in English and may not exceed 4,000 words.
4. Please submit your work as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.
5. Visual arts submissions must be scanned at 300 DPI or higher and saved as a .jpeg or .tiff image. Art submissions may include photography, paintings, drawings, digital art, sculpture, textile, etc. Performance art and musical scores will not be considered for publication.
6. Do not include your name in any of the attachments.
7. Do not submit previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know if your piece has been accepted somewhere else.
8. Current Inscape staff members may not be considered for publication. Staff members may submit their work in order to get blind feedback; however, you must talk to the chief editors prior to doing so.
9. We do not accept pieces that invoke the name of deity as an expletive.
10. We do not accept unsolicited craft essays, but we do accept inquiries from professionals in the arts. Contact our editors at inscape@byu.edu.  
11. Any submission that does not follow these guidelines will not be considered.

Reading Period: We accept submissions year-round. However, to be considered for a particular edition, please follow the deadlines below.

Fall 2023 Issue: submissions close October 20th, 2023

BYU Alumni Issue (Winter 2024): submissions close February 20th, 2024

Fall 2024 Issue: Submissions close February 20th, 2024

We carefully review every submission; this process often takes several months. For the Fall 2023 Issue, you can expect to hear back by December 20th, 2023. For the BYU Alumni and Fall 2024 Issue, you can expect to hear back by April 20th, 2024.

Inscape is a smart, up–and–coming literary journal aiming to curate pieces that are both peculiar and gorgeous without compromising craftsmanship and excellence. Averse to gratuitous violence, language and sex, we look for pieces that treat sensitive subjects with maturity and respect. Our favorite submissions explore refreshing takes on both the fantastic and the everyday. As a staff firmly rooted in following Jesus Christ and His teachings, we hope for submissions from people of all religious perspectives, countries, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, backgrounds, and experiences. To anyone who wanders into our journal, we welcome you to Inscape, home of the bizarre, believing, and beautiful.

Inscape publishes well–crafted fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and visual art that embodies one or more of our five defining identities: smart, believing, peculiar, refreshing, and excellent.

Submission Guidelines:

1. Inscape curates fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts pieces. You may submit the following number of submissions per category: Poetry: 2, Fiction: 2, Creative Nonfiction: 2, Visual Arts: 5
2. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit them separately.
3. Literary submissions must be written in English and may not exceed 4,000 words.
4. Please submit your work as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.
5. Visual arts submissions must be scanned at 300 DPI or higher and saved as a .jpeg or .tiff image. Art submissions may include photography, paintings, drawings, digital art, sculpture, textile, etc. Performance art and musical scores will not be considered for publication.
6. Do not include your name in any of the attachments.
7. Do not submit previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know if your piece has been accepted somewhere else.
8. Current Inscape staff members may not be considered for publication. Staff members may submit their work in order to get blind feedback; however, you must talk to the chief editors prior to doing so.
9. We do not accept pieces that invoke the name of deity as an expletive.
10. We do not accept unsolicited craft essays, but we do accept inquiries from professionals in the arts. Contact our editors at inscape@byu.edu.  
11. Any submission that does not follow these guidelines will not be considered.

Reading Period: We accept submissions year-round. However, to be considered for a particular edition, please follow the deadlines below.

Fall 2023 Issue: submissions close October 20th, 2023

BYU Alumni Issue (Winter 2024): submissions close February 20th, 2024

Fall 2024 Issue: Submissions close February 20th, 2024

We carefully review every submission; this process often takes several months. For the Fall 2023 Issue, you can expect to hear back by December 20th, 2023. For the BYU Alumni and Fall 2024 Issue, you can expect to hear back by April 20th, 2024.