Call for 2026 Early Career Prize Submissions – Victorian Poetry

Victorian Poetry invites submissions for its 2026 Early Career Essay Prize, which recognizes exemplary essays by untenured scholars of all ranks and affiliations (including NTT and graduate student colleagues). Conferred on an annual basis, the prize carries an award of $500 and publication in Victorian Poetry. Strong essays that do not win the award may also be considered for publication as recommended by the prize committee. Submissions are due 3 August 2026. Scholars wishing to be considered should submit anonymized MS Word essays and brief CVs to victorianpoetryjournal@gmail.com with “Early Career Essay Prize” in the subject line. Prior to submission, consult our guidelines for authors. Essays written with the assistance of generative AI are ineligible for the prize. 

Winning articles will be selected according to three criteria: (1) significance of contribution to the field of Victorian poetry (including its involvement with Victorian studies and other areas of inquiry in or beyond literary studies); (2) excellence of research, interpretation, and method; and (3) efficacy of presentation. The journal continues to expand its purview to a wider compass of archives and approaches. We welcome work that capaciously (re)interprets the field’s originary contexts and reconsiders Victorian poetry (broadly construed) in new, innovative, cross-disciplinary, theoretical, and / or experimental ways.

Thank you in advance for sharing this information far and wide — please encourage any early career and NTT scholars who are doing fantastic work on Victorian poetry to submit their work for consideration! Devin M. Garofalo, editor of Victorian Poetry (victorianpoetryjournal@gmail.com), is also very happy to confer with anyone who has questions about the prize and / or submission. Attached is a PDF version of the call for sharing as you see fit.