Catamaran Poetry Prize

for West Coast Poets 2025

The Winner of the 2025 Poetry Prize is

Floodchaser

by Aaron Tyler Hand

from Portland, Oregon

Aaron Tyler Hand is a Portland, Oregon based creative writer and literary critic with an MFA from Texas State University. He has previously been published in Poem-a-Day, San Antonio Express-News, Houston Chronicle, Porter House Review, Faultline Journal, GASHER Journal, HASH Journal, Funicular Magazine, among others. In addition to his own creative writing pursuits, Aaron volunteers his time to the prison teaching non-profit Rough Draft and hosts the poetry podcast The Personhood Project.

About the Catamaran Poetry Prize

for West Coast Poets

The Catamaran Poetry Prize encourages the submission of previously unpublished poetry manuscripts across a range of styles, themes, and forms. This contest is for a collection of poetry only. The prize is only open to West Coast poets living in California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawaii. A prize of $1,000 and publication in book form is awarded to the poetry collection selected by the judge. Submissions are accepted from Feb 15th through June 15th.

Congratulations to our 2025 Winner, Runner Up, and Finalists

Winner
Floodchaser by Aaron Tyler Hand from Portland, Oregon

Runner Up
Crop Marks by Charles Hood from Palmdale, California

Finalists:
Can’t be Far by Jed Meyers from Seattle, Washington
Not Eden by Steve McDonald from Murrieta, California
Old Words, Old Wood by Kathryn Jordan from Berkeley, California
Reading Lamp by Brian Culhane from Seattle, Washington
To the Gods of Perfect Sugar by Tara Mesalik MacMahon from Friday Harbor, Washington
Semifinalists:
House without Walls, by Gwynn O’Gara from Sebastapol, California
Our Insistence on Our Joy Bruises Us to Start Again, by Gabrielle Myers from South Lake Tahoe, California