2026 Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar
Theme: Pathways
Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets publishes an annual calendar of poetry the Poets' Calendar. Poets with a connection to Wisconsin are invited to submit their poetry for inclusion with no entrance fee. The calendar is one of our biggest projects each year and serves as our primary outreach effort.
The 2026 calendar theme is “pathways.” The theme covers epic journeys over land and water. Where and how we travel shapes the course of our lives. The editors are interested in your wrong turns, short-cuts, well-worn pathways, back alleys, rocky trails and detours. Send poems that take us in new directions going forward or help us gain a more grounded perspective. Please make sure to follow the guidelines below.
The 2026 calendar theme is “pathways.” The theme covers epic journeys over land and water. Where and how we travel shapes the course of our lives.
The editors are interested in your wrong turns, short-cuts, well-worn pathways, back alleys, rocky trails and detours. Send poems that take us in new directions going forward or help us gain a more grounded perspective.
GUIDELINES
Submission Period: November 1, 2024-February 9, 2025
Editors: Jenna Rindo and Katrina Serwe
The Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets will begin accepting poems for the 2026 Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar beginning November 1, 2024. Poets must be at least 18, a resident of Wisconsin or have a close connection to Wisconsin. Submissions received prior to November 1 will be returned. Deadline for submissions is February 9, 2025.
Please adhere to the guidelines below:
1. Submit one or two poems, single-spaced, not centered. Shorter poems preferred. Poems longer than 34 lines, counting stanza breaks, will not be accepted. Prepare your poems in a single Word document using the file name “[last name] [first name]”.
2. Previously published work accepted. Include the name of the publication where it first appeared and confirm that no copyright exists to limit dissemination of the poem in the calendar.
3. In your Word document, please include along with your poems: your name, street address, phone, email, and a short bio written in third person (30 word maximum). Please include ALL information or your submission will be disqualified.
4. Prepare your submission by attaching your one Word document — do not put poems or the additional information in the body of the email.
5. Email your submissions to 2026calendarsubmission@gmail.com. List [last name] [first name] in the subject line.
6. If you don’t have an email address, send your typewritten poems to:
Jenna Rindo
5762 Zoar Road
Pickett, WI 54964
No hand-written poems accepted.
7. We will confirm receipt by email, unless you send a postal submission. Then, include two stamped postcards: one for notification that your poems have been received and one for notification that your poem will or will not be included in the calendar.
8. Deadline for submissions: 11:59 p.m. on February 9, 2025. Poems arriving after that time will not be considered. Mailed submissions must be postmarked no later than February 9, 2025.
We look forward to reading your poems!
Katrina Serwe and Jenna Rindo
2026 Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar Editors