Rohit Bhargava & Henry Coutinho-Mason
The Future Words
Poetry Prize
We believe art is how language comes alive. Pick one of the words we coined for Future Words and bring it to life through poetry.
The Backstory
Poetry & Futurism?
The annals of art history have a mixed relationship with futurism. The term was first coined by an Italian poet named Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in his Manifesto of Futurism published in 1909. It was a time of cars, flight, wireless telegraphs, and speed. So he and a circle of Italian writers built a new way to describe the tension of their reality through what they called parole in libertà (words in freedom).
Some of their most radical ideas, like destroying museums and disapproving of feminism, were rejected by time. Still the link between poetry and the words we use to imagine the future remained. Writers and poets over the decades, from Mina Loy to Octavia Butler, have been central to this journey.
Future Words is a book about naming the experiences we have no words to describe. These words we have coined will only come to life through art. So, we decided to seek the help of poets.
The Future Words Poetry Prize is a challenge for artists to explore the meanings behind our words and an invitation to imagine the future through these words. We can’t wait to see what you come up with.
100 Words, One Poem
Which future word
will you write?
Every entrant picks one (or more) coined terms from Future Words and writes an original poem inspired by them. Here are a few to get you thinking — the complete list of 100 is sent to every entrant.
Fauxstalgia
The ache for a memory that was AI-generated and never actually lived through.
Prize & Timeline
$2,500 grand prize,
one winning poem.
Must be 18 or older to enter. Full official rules below.
The Rules
How to enter.
Check Your Eligibility
Open to all poets age 18 and older. Only one entry accepted per person.
Buy The Physical Book, Cover Your Entry Fee*
The $24 entry fee is the full retail price of one copy of Future Words (in hardcover format only — ebook purchases not eligible). You will be asked to submit a proof of purchase during entry. No direct payments accepted for entry, buying the book is the only way to enter.
Pick Your Word(s) & Write Your Entry
Choose one (or more) of the 100 words coined for Future Words and build an original, unpublished poem around it. Any style or form is welcome — but the maximum length for any entry is 100 lines.
Submit By December 15, 2026
Entries close December 15, 2026 and no late submissions will be accepted. The winner will be announced in Late January 2027.
*Only hardcover edition purchases are eligible, but buying the book for any discounted rate is acceptable (i.e. — you do not need to spend $24 if you find a better deal for the book online!).
Original & Unpublished
Your poem must be your own original work and not previously published, in print or online. Entries can be a maximum of 100 lines and must be submitted in English as the primary language.
Judging
Entries are judged on creativity, craft, and how well the poem brings its chosen word(s) to life. Our judging panel will include a combination of futurists and poets. More details about the panel will be released in the coming weeks.
Rights
Any poems entered for the competition may also be published by the entrant online or publicized in any way. No entries will be used by the organizers of this competition without permission of the entrants. If an entry is shared publicly by the entrant, any reposting or commenting from the authors of Future Words should not be construed as an indication of favorability for winning the prize.
Entry Fee
An acceptable proof of purchase for the book is required for all entries. This can include a screenshot of a purchase receipt from an online retailer or a photo of a physical receipt from a retail store. The book is distributed by Simon & Schuster and will be available at all online and in-store retailers on October 20, 2026.
Deadlines
No early entries will be accepted. A submission form will be available from this page starting on October 20, 2026. All entries must be submitted through the form on this website and will receive a personal confirmation from the contest organizers once the receipt is verified and the entry is received. All contest updates to participants will be shared by email.
Questions
Email megan@ideapresspublishing.com for any questions not covered here.
Official rules are being finalized ahead of the October 20, 2026 launch and may be updated.