Thank you for your interest in Cave Canem!
Submissions after Friday, July 31, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET will not be accepted.
About the 2027 Derricotte/Eady Chapbook Prize
The Derricotte/Eady Prize, named after Cave Canem co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, spotlights chapbook-length manuscripts.
Awarded to one poet annually, the Derricotte/Eady Prize recipient receives a monetary prize, the publication of their manuscript through Black Lawrence Press, a residency at The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach, and a featured reading at the O, Miami Festival in April.
Cave Canem is honored to partner with Black Lawrence Press to produce the annual Derricotte/Eady Prize in collaboration with The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach.
About the Judge
Tommye Blount was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He is the author of the chapbook What Are We Not For (Bull City Press) and the full-length collection of poetry Fantasia for the Man in Blue (Four Way Books)—which was afinalist for the National Book Award, the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, the Lambda Literary Award in Gay Poetry, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and others. A graduate from Warren Wilson College’s MFA Program for Writers, he is the recipient of commendations, fellowships, and grants from: the Amy Clampitt Residency, the Hawthornden Foundation, the Desert Rat Residency, the Whiting Foundation, the Aninstantia Foundation, Cave Canem, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and Kresge Arts.
Application Guidelines
- One manuscript per poet is allowed
- Include a title page with the title only and a table of contents. The author’s name should not appear on any pages within the uploaded document
- The manuscript must be paginated, with a font size of 11 or 12, and 25-30 pages in length, inclusive of the title page and table of contents. A poem may be multiple pages, but no more than one poem per page is permitted
- Manuscripts not adhering to submission guidelines will not be considered
- Include a cover letter with a brief author’s bio and a list of acknowledgments of previously published poems. DO NOT include this information within the document of the manuscript
- Post-submission revisions or corrections are not permitted
Eligibility
All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English by Black poets who are 21 years of age or older. Please note that this is not a first-book award. Cave Canem defines Black poets as any poet who identifies as a member of the African Diaspora.
Please note that in the event that an applicant has submitted the same manuscript to other book awards and received an award, they must disclose this information to Cave Canem.
Exclusions
Current or former students, colleagues, employees, family members, and close friends of the judge; current or former employees and members of the board of Cave Canem Foundation; O, Miami; and authors who have published a book or have a book under contract with Black Lawrence Press are ineligible.
Submissions after Friday, July 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET will not be accepted.
About the 2028 Derricotte/Eady Chapbook Prize
The Derricotte/Eady Prize, named after Cave Canem co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, spotlights chapbook-length manuscripts.
Awarded to one poet annually, the Derricotte/Eady Prize recipient receives a monetary prize, the publication of their manuscript through Black Lawrence Press, a residency at The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach, and a featured reading at the O, Miami Festival in April.
Cave Canem is honored to partner with Black Lawrence Press to produce the annual Derricotte/Eady Prize in collaboration with The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach.
About the Judge
Jonterri Gadson is a Cave Canem fellow who has published three poetry books, including the full-length poetry collection Blues Triumphant (YesYes Books). She is a TV/Film writer/director and a former creative writing professor. She has previously written on Comedy Central's EVERYBODY STILL HATES CHRIS, Netflix’s THE UPSHAWS, HBO’S A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW, and more. She won Kevin Hart’s LOL Film Fellowship for a short she wrote/directed and premiered at the American Black Film Festival.
Application Guidelines
- One manuscript per poet is allowed
- Include a title page with the title only and a table of contents. The author’s name should not appear on any pages within the uploaded document
- The manuscript must be paginated, with a font size of 11 or 12, and 25-30 pages in length, inclusive of the title page and table of contents. A poem may be multiple pages, but no more than one poem per page is permitted
- Manuscripts not adhering to submission guidelines will not be considered
- Include a cover letter with a brief author’s bio and a list of acknowledgments of previously published poems. DO NOT include this information within the document of the manuscript
- Post-submission revisions or corrections are not permitted
Eligibility
All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English by Black poets who are 21 years of age or older. Please note that this is not a first-book award. Cave Canem defines Black poets as any poet who identifies as a member of the African Diaspora.
Please note that in the event that an applicant has submitted the same manuscript to other book awards and received an award, they must disclose this information to Cave Canem.
Exclusions
Current or former students, colleagues, employees, family members, and close friends of the judge; current or former employees and members of the board of Cave Canem Foundation; O, Miami; and authors who have published a book or have a book under contract with Black Lawrence Press are ineligible.