The Poetry Center at PCCC, founded in 1980 by award-winning poet Maria Mazziotti Gillan, has hosted thousands of poets over the years at its readings, workshops, and conferences. These include Poet Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, Inaugural poets, and others of national and international reputation. Readings at the Center have included Allen Ginsberg, Amiri Baraka, Lucille Clifton, Stanley Kunitz, Ruth Stone, Marge Piercy, Billy Collins, Richard Blanco, Patricia Smith, and many others. The Poetry Center is housed in the historic Hamilton Club Building on the campus of Passaic County Community College in Paterson, New Jersey.
The Center offers reading and workshops by distinguished poets, and publishes the Paterson Literary Review. It annually sponsors three literary contests and awards prizes for each: the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award (for a single poem), the Paterson Poetry Prize (for a book of poetry), and the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People.
Honoring Allen Ginsberg’s contribution to American literature and his Paterson upbringing, this annual poetry competition awards the first prize of $2000, the second prize of $1000, and the third prize of $500 for a single poem. Please do not submit poems that imitate Allen Ginsberg’s work.
- Up to five unpublished poems per person will be accepted for consideration.
- Each poem should be no longer than two manuscript pages.
- Pages with poems should not include the poet’s name or any identifying information. A separate form will list the poet’s name, mailing address, and e-mail address.
- A fee of $20.00 must accompany your submission.
- The submission period is October 1 - February 1 (11:59 ET).
Poems by the Winners, Honorable Mentions, and Editor's Choice recipients are included in the Paterson Literary Review (PLR), and the poets are invited to read at The Poetry Center in historic downtown Paterson. Winners will be announced in spring 2026 on our website and through your Submittable account.
For examples of poems that have previously won and those that have been included in PLR, consider reading a back issue or looking at a few featured poems online.