Announcing the 2017 Swati Award for Poetry

Happy Poetry Month!

This spring, Arcturus magazine held its first annual writing contests in three genres: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We received hundreds of submissions, and are grateful to all the writers and poets who participated — you made our jobs very difficult during the judging process.

Throughout the week, we’ll announce the winners and finalists in each genre. On Monday we announced the Fiction winner and finalists. Today, we reveal the Swati Award for Poetry. The winning writer receives publication (today), $100, and a forthcoming interview at the Chicago Review of Books about her work. The finalists will all be published here in Arcturus in the coming weeks.

WINNER
Erica Bernheim, “Sinkholes of Florida” “Origami Bird with Flapping Wings” “Glory Hole Roulette” (click here to read)

FINALISTS
Luke Schwartz, “Dress” “Break Up With Your Shitty Boyfriend” (click here to read)
Kailee Marie Pedersen, “Woman in Blue Combing Her Hair” “Snegurochka” (click here to read)
Jessica Cogar, “Red Hour, Red Kitchen” “Dreamscape with Birds, With Childbirth” (click here to read)

Congrats to our winner and all the finalists! Check back later this week for the award for creative nonfiction.