The 2026 Ouroboros Prize
Judged by Richard Siken
October 5, 2026 – December 6, 2026
As the leaves begin to change, we here at Palette are thrilled to announce the 2026 Ouroboros Prize. The ouroboros is an ancient symbol representing the endless cycles of destruction and rebirth; how nothing ever truly leaves, only changes form. From October 5 to December 6, we welcome you to submit your poems about cycles: life and death, the seasons, the beginnings and ends of relationships. Poems ruminating on time, aging, and resurrection. When in your life did you feel yourself change or enter the next phase of a cycle? When did you say goodbye to something or someone, hoping one day they would return?
Palette’s editors will choose the ten finalists and any honorable mentions that warrant extra attention. Guest judge Richard Siken will then select the winner and runner-ups for publication. The winner will receive $3,000; second and third place will receive $300 and $200, respectively. Finalists may also be considered for publication.
This contest theme is open to interpretation, but here’s what our guest judge is looking for:
"I want to be astonished. I want what I can’t think of on my own. I want to listen to a unique, singular voice and to follow the trace of a mind that moves in interesting ways. Poems aren’t made out of thoughts or feelings, poems are made out of words. Everyone has content, not everyone can move the words around. Move the words around. Dazzle me."
—Richard Siken
Richard Siken is a poet and painter. His book Crush won the 2004 Yale Series of Younger Poets prize, selected by Louise Glück; a Lambda Literary Award; a Thom Gunn Award; and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. His other books are War of the Foxes (Copper Canyon Press, 2015) and I Do Know Some Things (Copper Canyon Press, 2025), which was a finalist for the National Book Award. Siken is a recipient of fellowships from Lannan Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. He lives in Tucson, Arizona.
For further inspiration, here are some poems we love that encompass the spirit of the ouroboros:
- "Instructions on Not Giving Up" by Ada Limón
- "Remember" by Joy Harjo
- "Burial" by Ross Gay
- "That Moment" by Sharon Olds
- "As I Grew Older" by Langston Hughes
- "The Gate" by Marie Howe
Submission Guidelines: Please read carefully!
- Submissions are open internationally, to any poet writing in English—inclusion of other languages is welcome, as long as the poem is largely written in English. At this time, Palette does not accept translated work unless you are also the author of the original poem.
- Your submission must be no more than three poems and under ten pages. Please submit all your poems in ONE document. Please begin each poem on a new page and include each poem’s individual title.
- We do accept multiple submissions (of one to three poems apiece), but each submission must include the $20 reading fee.
- Writers from historically marginalized groups are invited to submit for free until we reach the fifty free entries budgeted for this particular contest.
- We accept simultaneous submissions—just please send us a note if your work is accepted for publication elsewhere.
- We are only accepting unpublished work. If your poem has been published elsewhere, even on a blog or on social media, it is not eligible.
- DO NOT INCLUDE your name or identifying information in the document OR submission title box.
- Please include a brief cover letter in the cover letter box with your publication history, if any. This text box is where you can include your name and/or bio! If you select the editorial feedback or commentary option, this cover letter is also where you can name which poem you’d like feedback on. To safeguard our reading staff, please include content warnings in the cover letter, if applicable, as well.
- Review our FAQ page for frequently asked questions.
- NOTE: If after submitting you notice an error in your submission, please message us rather than withdrawing and resubmitting your submission. We can open it to editing once so you can correct the error.
- Palette Poetry does not accept AI-produced work.
- This contest closes December 6, 2026. Submitters will be notified of their submission status within twelve weeks of the contest closing date.
Discount for Submitters
As a thank you for your support for Palette, we’d like to offer a 10% off discount code on a writing class from The Writing Salon. Find a class and use the code included in the confirmation message at checkout.
Editorial Feedback Option
This option costs $59 and will provide you with two pages of detailed and actionable feedback on a poem of your choice from the submission, including suggestions for future submissions. The three-letter option costs $149 and will provide you with six pages of detailed and actionable feedback on a poem of your choice from the submission, including suggestions for future submissions, from three separate guest editors. Our guest editors are paid a significant portion of the fee and are all incredibly astute poets.
