The Donald Justice Poetry Prize is a prestigious national competition sponsored by the Iris N. Spencer Poetry Awards of the West Chester University Poetry Center. It has been given annually since 2006 to an American poet for an unpublished book-length manuscript of formal poetry. Each year, one manuscript is selected for the award and is published in the spring. The submissions are judged blindly and selected by a notable poet who works in traditional forms. Past judges have included Erica Dawson, David Mason, A. E. Stallings, and Marilyn Nelson. The winner receives $1,500 and will have the manuscript published by Autumn House Press. Prior to 2018, winning poetry collections were either published by Measure Press or West Chester University. The award is presented at the annual West Chester University Poetry Event each spring.

Past winners

The following are the winners of the Donald Justice Poetry Prize: