Applications for the 2021 Hawker Prize for Southeast Asian Poetry are closed. We will be announcing the winners in mid-2022.
OUR PRIZES
1st Place: $1500
2nd Place: $950
3rd Place: $500
Honourable Mention(s): –
All figures in SGD. The 2021 edition of the Prize will split the cash prize 50/50 between the nominating editors/publishers and the poet; in the event a winning work is a translation of a poem, the cash prize will be further split 50/50 between the poet and the translator.
ABOUT THE HAWKER PRIZE FOR SOUTHEAST ASIAN POETRY
The Hawker Prize for Southeast Asian Poetry seeks to award the best poems published by a Southeast Asian literary journal / publication. We invite editors and publishers of literary journals and anthologies based in or who identify with Southeast Asia to nominate poems they believe are deserving of greater recognition.
Our focus is on independent journals and publications from our region that curate amazing work from around the world; we want to draw attention not just to the poets that these journals / publications publish, but to their publishers and editors as well. We decided on the name "Hawker Prize" as it hints at our food-loving regional cultures, and also places an emphasis on the platforms which regularly hawk poetry to hungry and eager readers.
In light of the pandemic and its effect around the region, we are making a big change to the 2021 prize system. All prizes will now be split equally between the editors/publishers and the poets to help sustain the ecosystem of independent Southeast Asian poetry publication during this time. Where the winning poem is a known translation, the prize will be split in the following manner: 50% to the publisher, 25% to the poet and the remaining 25% to the translator(s).
The winning poems will be awarded SGD$1,500, $950 and $500 for the first, second and third place respectively. We accept poems written in English and poems translated into English. Works will be accepted from journals and anthologies based in or affiliated with Southeast Asia, whether or not the authors of those works are from Southeast Asia.
OUR 2018–2020 WINNERS & SUPPORTERS
The 2018–2020 editions of the Hawker Prize re-published the winning works on our website. Interviews with the nominating editors of the winning journals / publications were also held in order to showcase their history and contextualise their efforts in the literary arts:
The winning poems of the 2021 Hawker Prize for Southeast Asian Poetry may be read here; our interviews with the winning journals’ editors and poets may be read here.
The winning poems of the 2020 Hawker Prize for Southeast Asian Poetry may be read here; our interviews with the winning journals' editors and poets may be read here.
The winning poems of the 2019 Hawker Prize for Southeast Asian Poetry may be read here; our interviews with the winning journals’ editors may be read here.
The winning poems of the 2018 Hawker Prize for Southeast Asian Poetry may be read here; our interviews with the winning journals' editors may be read here.
The first three editions of the Hawker Prize for Southeast Asian Poetry were made possible due to the donations and grants that we receive as a charity and IPC. We would especially like to thank Rambutan Literary for contributing to our cash pool for the 2018 prize winners; Rambutan Literary prides itself on being an online literary and arts journal dedicated to showcasing work from mainland, maritime and diasporic Southeast Asia and to cultivating Southeast Asian writing and artistic communities. Do also consider supporting Sing Lit Station and our efforts to promote and encourage the development of literary arts!
OUR 2018–2021 PANEL OF JUDGES
Bernice Chauly is the critically acclaimed author of six books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction, which include the award-winning Growing Up With Ghosts (2011), Onkalo (2013) and Once We Were There (2017)
Olin Monteiro is a prolific writer, feminist, film producer and publisher of women's books. She has worked extensively with women's rights organisations since the 1990s.
Ng Yi-Sheng is a Singaporean poet, playwright, fictionist, critic, journalist and activist. His books include last boy, winner of the 2008 Singapore Literature Prize.
Christine Chia is the author of The Law of Second Marriages and its sequel Separation: a history.
Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz is Associate Professor of literature and creative writing at the University of the Philippines Mindanao, recipient of the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Literary Award, and former president of the Davao Writers Guild.
ko ko thett is a poet by choice and Burmese by chance. He serves as country editor for Myanmar at Poetry International and poetry editor at Mekong Review.
Grace Chia is the author of nine books, including three poetry collections, womango, Cordelia and Mother of All Questions.
Carlomar Arcangel Daoana is the author of five collections of poetry, including The Elegant Ghost (University of the Philippines Press, 2019)
Melizarani T. Selva is a Malaysian writer and spoken word poet with notable performances at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival and TEDxGateway Mumbai.
Annaliza Bakri holds a Master of Arts from the Department of Malay Studies at the National University of Singapore. She edited and translated a poetry anthology featuring places in Singapore and her surrounding islands titled Sikit-Sikit Lama-lama Jadi Bukit (2017).
Mikael Johani is a translingual poet. He's the author of We Are Nowhere And It’s Wow (Post Press, 2017) and organises Paviliun Puisi, a monthly spoken word night in Jakarta.
OUR RULES AND REGULATIONS
The competition is open to all works of poetry that have been published in a journal or publication that is either (i) founded / edited by a Southeast Asian, or (ii) printed / managed by a Southeast Asian publisher.
The award is for any literary poetic work published in a Southeast Asian journal or publication between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020. Unlike the journal / publication, the author / translator of the poetic work submitted to the Hawker Prize does not need to be Southeast Asian.
Poems submitted must originally be written in English, or have been translated to English at the point of publication. We also accept submissions accompanied by English translations.
Nominations are to be made between 16 Aug and 30 Sep 2021. Nominations submitted any later than 30 Sep 2021, 2359 hours (+8 GMT) will not be considered. UPDATE: Applications are now closed.
An entrant may submit more than one (1) poem, but no more than six (6).
Only elected representatives of the journal / publication may submit / nominate a poem. The author / translator him- or herself may not do so.
Entries are to be submitted online at: singlitstation.submittable.com/submit
No fees apply for submissions of up to 3 poems. Entrants submitting between 4 to 6 poems will be charged a submission fee of $20 USD.