The Poetry Night Reading Series and the John Natsoulas Gallery proudly present

The Jack Kerouac Poetry Prize

Deadline: Friday, October 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
Award ceremony: Friday, October 23, at 6 p.m., at the Jazz Beat Conference, John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First Street, Davis

The Jack Kerouac Poetry Prize, sponsored by the John Natsoulas Gallery and the Poetry Night Reading Series, honors poems that capture the spirit of the Beat Generation, the movement Kerouac himself named. Winners receive cash prizes and an invitation to read at the Jazz Beat Conference on October 23, and they’ll also be invited to read their work on Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour on KDVS. This year’s judge is Dr. Andy Jones, Poet Laureate Emeritus of Davis.

Prizes

• First Prize: $150 and an invitation to read at the Jazz Beat Conference
• Second Prize: $75 and an invitation to read at the Jazz Beat Conference
• Third Prize: $25 and an invitation to read at the Jazz Beat Conference
• Honorable Mention: An invitation to read at the Jazz Beat Conference
• All winning poems will be considered for publication in a future anthology from John Natsoulas Press.

Submission guidelines

• Send up to three poems, totaling no more than six pages.
• All work must be your own original writing, created without generative AI.
• There is no entry fee.
• Include a separate page with your name, phone number, mailing address, and email.
• We ask all entrants to attend the October 23 ceremony, where winners will each read one poem.

Send entries to Dr. Andy Jones at jackkerouaccontest@gmail.com

Winners will be announced in person on October 23. Please join us that night to hear them read!