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The Aggrey & Tabbikha Prize for Poetry

A project of Inverted Syntax Press (see other related projects).

About

The Aggrey & Tabbikha Prize for Poetry (previously two separate prizes) is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional first-or second-poetry collections written in English by a writer who identifies as Black or as part of the S.W.A.N.A diaspora, residing within the United States, regardless of citizenship. Named after the Aggrey family of Ghana, and Tabbica/Tabbikha family of Lebanon, the prize honors and amplifies original poetry by Black and S.W.A.N.A writers whose communities remain underrepresented in contemporary literature. While there is no set theme, we seek work that reflects on intersectional perspectives, and encourage genre-breaking, hybrid work (can intersect with any genre including original visuals, excluding photography), as well as speculative, and experimental writing. Inclusion of other languages/code-switching/meshing is very much welcome as long as the book is largely written in English.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions.
The fee is USD $20 (average for contests).
Limited Demographic: Submissions are restricted to US residents who identify as Black or as part of the S.W.A.N.A diaspora.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2024

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Awarded 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Poetry Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General
Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Poetry Collection: 48 - 80 pages.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Society/Culture: General, Ethnicity/Race, Social issues, See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

Semi-pro advance (US$200-1999) + < 15% royalties Provides free copy/copies Semi-pro advance. < 15% royalties. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $500 for first prize; 5-10% standard royalties on net receipts.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

The Aggrey & Tabbikha Prize for Poetry Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

We have not received any submission reports for this listing in the past 12 months.

Your Submissions

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Fissured Tongue Series  Charges fees for all submissions
Inverted Syntax CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Sublingua Prize for Poetry  Charges fees for all submissions

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 15 Aug 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.

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