The Ontario Poetry Society Presents
The Golden Grassroots Chapbook Award, 2025
Open To All Canadian Citizens
This contest to be held every second year
First Prize: $50 & 50 Free Chapbooks & an Award Certificate
Second Prize: $25 & 25 Free Chapbooks & an Award Certificate
Third Prize:$15 & 15 Free Chapbooks & an Award Certificate
5 Honourable Mentions to receive an Award Certificate
plus all entrants receive one copy of all 3 winning chapbooks.
Rules and Guidelines:
Manuscripts of 24 pages of poetry accepted.
Each page features a maximum of 32 lines.
Use #11 Arial Font.
Poems may be previously published,
but not previously have won any contest prizes or awards.
The chapbook can be one long poem or a variety of different poems.
The spaces between the stanzas count as lines.
Line width to be restricted to 55 characters & word spaces.
Manuscript to be submitted on plain white paper, single-spaced
on 8.5" x 11" pages.
The poems need to be in the order of appearance in the chapbook.
Poems must include 2 front pages showing the chapbook title
and the poem titles in the order you desire.
All themes and styles welcome.
One page to have all the contact information with author name,
complete mailing address, phone number and e-mail (if possible).
Blind Judging: The other cover page is to have NO author information, back or front.
Poems to be printed on only one side of a sheet.
Do not send any pictures or artwork or biographical information.
The winners can provide these things, as well as the publication credits for any previously
published poems in the manuscript, once the contest is closed.
No Author I.D. to be anywhere, front or back, on any of the poems.
Entry fee: $20 for the first manuscript. Additional manuscripts are $10 each.
There is no limit to the number of submissions per entrant.
An I.S.B.N. will be provided and 1 extra copy will be sent to the
National Library of Canada for their Archives.
A chapbook launch will be arranged within Ontario.
Should the winner live out of town, it is up to them
to arrange travel and accommodations in the city or town
for the book launch, at their own expense.
Additional copies for purchase by the winner are $5 each.
Deadline: Entries to be postmarked on or before March 31st, 2025.
Include a #10 s.a.s.e. (self-addressed stamped envelope) for the winners list.
Manuscripts are not returned, unless a larger envelope is enclosed with sufficient postage.
Send submissions with entry fee to
The Ontario Poetry Society, #710 - 65 Spring Garden Ave., Toronto, Ont. M2N 6H9
The author retains all rights to his/her poetry.
Contest Judge is K.V. Skene