Bollingen Prize for Poetry

ぼりんげんしょう

A biennial American poetry prize administered by the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University, recognizing a poet's best new volume or lifetime achievement.

PoetryAmerican poetryLiterary award

Established: 1948
Organizer: Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University
Category: Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Open
Frequency: 2 per year
Status: Active

Description

The Bollingen Prize for Poetry was established in 1948 by Paul Mellon (funded initially by the Bollingen Foundation) and is administered by Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Initially awarded annually (1948–1963), it has been given every two years since 1963. The prize recognizes either the best new volume of poetry or a poet's lifetime achievement. The award is decided by a library-appointed committee and is given without nominations or public submissions. The inaugural award to Ezra Pound provoked significant controversy. Funding transitioned to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which established an endowment in 1973 to support the prize.

Prize

Main Prize: Cash award recognizing a poet's best new volume or lifetime achievement (administered by Yale's Beinecke Library).

Initial Bollingen Foundation grant of US$10,000 (1948)
Award amount noted as US$5,000 in historical record (1963)
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation endowment of US$100,000 (1973) established to fund the prize in perpetuity

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Selection by committee	Committee appointed by the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library (historically Fellows in American Letters of the Library of Congress for the inaugural prize).	null	Winners are announced publicly by the Beinecke/Yale official channels (library website and press).
No submissions/nominations	Prize is awarded without formal nominations or open submissions; recipients are identified and chosen by the library-appointed committee.	null	Award is conferred and publicized by Yale Library/Bollingen Prize communications (biennial schedule).

Selection by committee

Judges Committee appointed by the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library (historically Fellows in American Letters of the Library of Congress for the inaugural prize).

Pass Rate null

Announcement Winners are announced publicly by the Beinecke/Yale official channels (library website and press).

No submissions/nominations

Judges Prize is awarded without formal nominations or open submissions; recipients are identified and chosen by the library-appointed committee.

Pass Rate null

Announcement Award is conferred and publicized by Yale Library/Bollingen Prize communications (biennial schedule).

Criteria

Literary excellence in poetry
Significant contribution to American poetry
Recognition for either a distinguished new volume or lifetime achievement

Application Tips

Dos

Understand that the prize does not accept submissions — focus on building a sustained body of published work.
Publish full-length collections with reputable presses and seek critical visibility (reviews, readings, prizes).
Cultivate a national presence in the poetry community and maintain consistent literary output.

Don''ts

Do not expect to apply or submit materials — the Bollingen Prize is awarded without nominations/submissions.
Avoid relying on short-term publicity alone; the prize often recognizes sustained achievement or a major new volume.

From Judges

The committee looks for literary excellence, influence in American poetry, and works or careers of lasting significance.
Both a remarkable new volume and a lifetime of achievement can warrant the prize; sustained quality is key.