This award commemorates the longtime contributions of Louise Cannon, assistant professor at Ithaca College and an accomplished poet. The Louise Cannon Poetry Prize is made possible through the generosity of the M. Louise Cannon Fund.
Introducing the 2026 Louise Cannon Poetry Prize, open to all undergraduate students enrolled at Ithaca College.
Louise Cannon
Deadline: Friday, April 3, 2026 at 5pm.
Late entries will not be accepted. All submissions will receive a confirmation of receipt within 72 hours.
Eligibility
This contest is open to all undergraduate students enrolled at Ithaca College
Submitting Work
All submissions should be sent to the following email address: poetryprize@ithaca.edu.
- Subject Line include: FIRST AND LAST NAME
- Body of the email include: your contact information, both email address and cellphone number
- Attached: a PDF with your submission. Your name should not appear on the submission, nor should it appear in the name of the file itself.
Guidelines
- Submit 3 poems. Poems may be unpublished or previously published.
- Each poem should appear on a separate page (or pages).
- Your name should not appear anywhere on the submission or in the name of the file.
Review Process
The Department of Writing believes that clear guidelines and transparency form the foundation of an ethical contest. We agree to (1) conduct our contest as ethically as possible and to address unethical behavior should it arise; (2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines; and (3) to make the mechanics of our contest available upon request.
Winners, this year, will be announces in early May. Please direct any questions you have to Joan Marcus: jmarcus@ithaca.edu
This year's prize will be judged by award-winning poet Heather Bartlett.
Prizes
The Louise Cannon Poetry Prize includes a $100 gift certificate to Buffalo Street Books.
Heather Bartlett, Judge of this year's contest
Heather Bartlett (she/her) is the author of the poetry collection Another Word for Hunger (Sundress Publications). Her poetry and prose can be found in print and online in journals such as the Los Angeles Review, Ninth Letter, RHINO Poetry, and others. She is an Assistant Professor in the English Department at SUNY Cortland and founding editor of the online literary magazine Hoxie Gorge Review .