The Reuben Rose Competition


Voices Israel holds an annual competition in memory of Reuben Rose, one of its founders and the founding editor of its annual Anthology.  Submissions are invited from members and non-members alike, living anywhere, and are judged by a panel of three independent judges. Cash prizes totaling $1,100 are awarded as well as publication of the winning poems and Honorable Mentions.  

The competition usually opens for submissions in mid-July of each year and the submission period runs for three months, until mid-October of that year.  We are usually able to announce the results in mid-December of that year.

Prizes

First prize $750, second prize $250, third prize $100.  Ten honorable mentions are awarded. 

Prizewinners and all honorable mentions are published as a separate section in the Voices Israel Poetry Anthology of the following year (e.g. winners and honorable mentions of the 2022 competition were published in the 2023 Anthology).  Online text of the winning poems are also posted here on our website. They can be accessed by year from the top menu, above.

Entry Fees

One poem: US $8.00; Three poems: US $16.00; Six poems: US $24.00.

The 2023 Competition

The judges for the 2023 competition were:

  • Iris Dan – the 2022 First Prize winner.
  • David Silverman – the 2022 Second Prize winner.
  • Yvonne O’Connor – replacing Nancy Shiffrin as International Judge for 2023.

Nancy Shiffrin regretfully had to step down as judge halfway through the judging process. We are grateful to Yvonne O’Connor of Ireland for agreeing to step in at short notice and replace her. We hope that Ms. Shiffrin will be available to serve as our International Judge for the 2024 competition.

For the results of the 34th (2023) competition, see our 2023 Reuben Rose Competition page.

The competition is now closed for submissions until mid-July 2024. For the Guidelines and Requirements for Entry, and to submit during the submission period only, please go to our Submit to the Reuben Rose page.

Please note: Poems published on this Voices Israel website and files linked to it, including in our newsletters, competition announcements, and workshop chapbooks, are sole copyright of the poets themselves. Voices Israel expressly does not give permission for reproduction or syndication elsewhere without the poets’ written permission.