July 2026 | New York City, NY – Cave Canem is proud to announce Black Lawrence Press as its new publishing partner for the Derricotte/Eady Chapbook Prize.
The Derricotte/Eady Prize, named after Cave Canem co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, spotlights chapbook-length manuscripts by Black poets. Awarded to one poet annually, the Derricotte/Eady Prize recipient receives a monetary prize, publication and 10 copies of their manuscript through Black Lawrence Press, a residency at The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach, and a reading at the O, Miami Festival. Eligibility for the prize will remain unchanged, welcoming all unpublished, original collections written in English by Black poets across the diaspora. As Cave Canem continues its 30th Anniversary celebrations, the newly-minted collaborators are excited to usher in partnerships that continue to uplift the work of the Black poetic community.
“For three decades Cave Canem has been at the forefront of fostering dialogue in Black communities across the diaspora, and this exchange has produced stellar poetry collections by so many wonderful authors,” said Diane Goettel, Executive Editor of Black Lawrence Press, and Abayomi Animashaun, Founder and Director of Immigrant Writing at Black Lawrence Press. “This important work is consistent with our belief that publishing houses and literary organizations should be in conversation (and collaboration) with historically marginalized communities, whose amazingly talented poets and authors sometimes do not benefit from representation.”
To establish a new prize and publication timeline, submissions for the 2027 and 2028 Derricotte/Eady Prize will run concurrently now through August 7, 2026. Tommye Blount will serve as the 2027 Derricotte/Eady Prize Judge, with Jonterri Gadson serving as the judge for 2028.
For more information on the Derricotte/Eady Prize, visit https://cavecanempoets.org/programs/#prizes.
About Cave Canem
Cave Canem is a nonprofit organization committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of Black poets. Founded by artists for artists, Cave Canem fosters community across the diaspora to enrich the field by facilitating a nurturing space in which to learn, experiment, create, and present. Cave Canem develops audiences for Black voices that have worked and are working in the craft of poetry.
About Black Lawrence Press
Black Lawrence Press is an independent publisher of contemporary poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. We also publish the occasional translation from German. Founded in 2004 by Colleen Ryor, Black Lawrence became an imprint of Dzanc Books in 2008. In January 2014, we spread our wings and became an independent company in the state of New York. Our books are distributed nationally through Independent Publishers Group to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and various brick-and-mortar retailers. We also make our titles available through our website and at various conferences and book fairs. Black Lawrence Press publishes three periodicals: Sapling is a weekly newsletter for writers, specifically those actively publishing and trying to get published by literary journals, small presses, and independent publishers. tr. is an international literary journal that celebrates and highlights the cultural power and vital contributions of literature in translation to the English-speaking world. Fair Copy is a journal of prose and process.