The New Voices Poetry Contest
The New Voices Poetry Contest was born from a desire to give poetic voices in Ghana a platform to celebrate the richness of Ghanaian expression, language and imagination. The contest aims to inspire a new generation of Ghanaian poets to speak boldly, write honestly and be seen.
The details for the contest are as follows:
Theme: Ancestors, Answers Me
This theme invites poets to write from the space between memory and imagination to converse with ancestors, elders, spirits and traditions, while dreaming of the Ghana they hope to inherit. Poets are encouraged to reflect on lost histories, cultural legacies, and personal identity — and to boldly imagine the social, political, or spiritual transformations they wish to see.
Eligibility and Rules: Who Can Enter
1. Ghanaian nationals only — this includes Ghanaians living in Ghana or in the diaspora.
2. Age 18 and above at the time of the submission.
3. Open to budding, unpublished, and emerging poets looking to build their portfolio and gain recognition.
Who Cannot Enter:
To keep the focus on new voices, this contest is not open to poets who have:
1. Published a full-length poetry collection (in print or digital form)
2. Released a chapbook (a shorter poetry collection published under their name).
3. Dropped a spoken word/poetry album (in audio or visual form, whether independently or with a label).
Kindly note that poets who have had individual poems published in magazines, blogs, literary journals, or been featured in group anthologies are still eligible to enter.
Language & Originality:
1. Poems may be submitted in English or any Ghanaian language.
2. If the poem is in a local language, an English translation must be included.
3. Submissions must be the original work of the entrant and previously unpublished (in print or online, including social media).
4. Each entrant may submit one poem only.
5. This contest accepts only written pieces.
Format & Length:
1. Maximum of 40 lines (excluding title). Typed and submitted as a PDF or Word document. PDF is encouraged if there is a particular form/structure you want to maintain.
2. Font: Times New Roman or Arial. Size: 12pt, Single-spaced.
3. The document should not have any identifying information, like a name or a pseudonym, on it.
Simultaneous Submissions:
1. Simultaneous submissions (sending your poem to other contests or publications at the same time) are allowed.
2. However, please notify us immediately if your poem is accepted elsewhere before our results are announced, so we can withdraw it from consideration.
There is no entry fee for this contest.
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Enquiries about submissions should be directed to The New Voices Poetry Contest. please always refer to their website for complete details and information.
Please note, this call is run by The New Voices Poetry Contest, not the Commonwealth Foundation.
