KOHUKOHU LIBRARY POETRY PRIZE 2026

THE GOLDEN RULE

Every single submission must contain the word ‘harbour’

COMPETITION RULES & ELIGIBILITY

• Entry is free and open to all NZ citizens and permanent residents.
• Submissions are warmly welcomed in any of New Zealand's official languages.
• Poets may enter up to 3 poems.
• Strictly original work only: AI assistance, generation, and plagiarism are forbidden and will result in instant disqualification.
• All entries must be previously unpublished (including personal blogs and social media).

• To ensure completely fair, unbiased, and anonymous judging, please format your pages carefully:
• No identifying details (name, phone, or email) anywhere on the poem document or in the file name. Put your contact details in the body of your email.
• Keep poems to a maximum of 30 lines.
• Use a clean 12pt serif font (like Times New Roman) with 1.5 line spacing.
• Submit as a Word Document (.doc/.docx) or pasted directly into your email. Please note: PDFs, screenshots, or photographs of poems will not be accepted.

THE PRIZE

Winner takes all: $150 Cash + bragging rights.

DEADLINE

Submissions close Tuesday 18/08/2026 at 11:59pm. Late entries cannot pass the gate, so do not let the clock run out!

The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into. The single winner will be announced right here on our Facebook page and via email on Friday, 28 August, 2026.

HOW TO ENTER

Email your work to kohukohulibrary@gmail.com.