HOME

The Ontario Poetry Society
~ The Once Upon My Time Poetry Contest ~

The Ontario Poetry Society Presents:
The Once Upon My Time Poetry Contest 2026
Open to Paid Members Only

Grand Prize: One Year Free Membership
14 Honourable Mention Awards
All contest winners receive an award certificate
and a chapbook with the winning poems.

Poems need to be about your childhood.
You may write a poem about one significant incident,
or on a situation you encountered over several years.
You may write about being a latchkey child, about a favourite childhood toy or pet,
a school experience including a field trip or a favourite teacher,
being a sibling to older or younger brothers & sisters, being bullied,
getting lost, a fear you once had, something that amazed or inspired you.
All styles welcome.

Max. length per poem is 28 lines and stanza spaces count as lines.
Poem titles not in the count.
Up to 40 characters per line. This includes all punctuation
and spaces between the words. All styles welcome.
Each member may submit up to 5 poems.
Poems must be unpublished and not sent elsewhere,
and submitted on 81/2 x 11 (letter size) paper,
single spaced in Times New Roman #12 font.
Blind Judging: No author ID to be anywhere on the poem page,
back or front. Add a cover page with author name, address, e-mail,
phone number and contest titles (or first lines if no titles).

Entry Fee: FREE

Poems to be mailed on/or before August 31st, 2026
The Ontario Poetry Society
Attn.: I.B. Iskov, Contest Coordinator
#710-65 Spring Garden Avenue
Toronto, ON M2N 6H9

Contest Judge is Blaine Marchand