The Surrealistic Poetry Competition 2026
Open to everyone living in Canada.
Judge: Paul Edward Costa
Subject & Theme
Poems to be in a surrealistic style about something that is strange, dreamlike, or seems unreal.
Incorporate concrete visual imagery and create startling, illogical contrasts. Poems should integrate experiences or images that express the bizarre, illogical, and unexpected quality of a dream. There is no limit to the number of submissions.
Awards
Plus: 16 Honourable Mention awards. All prize winners receive an Award Certificate and one copy of the anthology.
Submission Rules
- Length: Max 32 lines per poem (spaces between stanzas count as lines; poem title is not counted).
- Formatting: Arial 12 font on 8.5" x 11" paper, single spaced, on individual pages.
- Status: Poems may be previously published but must not have won a contest prize.
Blind Judging Instructions
No author name should appear anywhere on the poem pages (front or back). Include a separate cover page with your name, complete mailing address, phone number, and e-mail, along with a list of poem titles or first lines if the poem is untitled.
How to Enter
Entry Fees:
- $10 CAD - First 3 poems
- $5 CAD - Each additional poem
Mail with payment to:
The Ontario Poetry SocietyAttn.: I.B. Iskov, Contest Coordinator
#710 - 65 Spring Garden Ave.
Toronto, ON M2N 6H9
Postmarked on or before October 31, 2026.
Enclose a #10 self-addressed, stamped envelope for the winners' list and receive a $2 off coupon for another T.O.P.S. contest. Make cheques payable to The Ontario Poetry Society.