Watershed Review — Flume Press — 2026 Flume Press Chapbook Contest
Overview
The Flume Press Chapbook Contest, hosted by Watershed Review, is an annual competition that recognizes the chapbook as a distinct literary form. The press seeks manuscripts that demonstrate intentionality and cohesion, functioning as curated collections rather than mere assemblages. With a reading period from August 25 to October 10, 2026, the contest offers writers an opportunity to have their work evaluated by a discerning press and a distinguished judge. This year's guest judge is Emily Lee Luan, author of 回 /Return, winner of the Nightboat Poetry Prize, and I Watch the Boughs, selected for a Poetry Society of America Chapbook Fellowship. A 2025 National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow and Pushcart Prize recipient, Luan's work has appeared in The Best American Poetry 2021, American Poetry Review, LitHub, and elsewhere. She is an Assistant Professor of English at Adelphi University and teaches in Adelphi's low-residency MFA program. Her involvement ensures that manuscripts will be assessed with rigorous attention to craft and innovation. The contest welcomes submissions in poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, and hybrid forms. While the press does not specify a cash prize or publication details in the provided information, the contest serves as a platform for writers to present a focused body of work. The entry fee is $15.00 USD. The press encourages manuscripts that invite surprise, invention, and genre-bending, reflecting a commitment to expanding the boundaries of contemporary writing.