Winners Announced for 2026 Dwarf Stars, Elgin, and Rhysling Awards

**Dwarf Stars Awards**: Recognizing speculative poetry of 10 lines or fewer, the winners are as follows:

- **First Place**: “Concrete Cuneiform Poem #1” by Robert Frazier (Sublimation 1-2/25)

- **Second Place**: [bound with plaited grass] by F. J. Bergmann (SFPA Poetry Contest ’25)

- **Third Place**: “What Black Holes Read” by Mary Soon Lee (Star*Line Summer ’25)

**Honorable Mentions** include:

- “Familiar Spirit” by Sarah Cannavo (SpecPoVerse 4/25)

- “The Point of Measurement” by Lynne Sargent (Baubles from Bones Fall ’25)

- “Mushroom lung” by Yuliia Vereta (Star*Line Fall ’25)

Jean-Paul L. Garnier served as the editor for the Dwarf Stars, with nominees and winners selected by SFPA members.

**Elgin Awards**: Acknowledging the best speculative poetry books and chapbooks, the winners are:

- **Best Full-Length Book**

- First Place: Everything Endless by Linda D. Addison & Jamal Hodge (Raw Dog Screaming)

- Second Place: Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud by Lee Murray (The Cuba)

- Third Place: Sleepless Nights in the Dreamers by Herb Kauderer (Island of Wak-Wak)

- **Best Chapbook**

- First Place: The Women of Myth by M. Frost (Island of Wak-Wak)

- Second Place: Over It: Goddesses Who’ve Reached Their Limit by Gerri Leen (Island of Wak-Wak)

- Third Place: Risk Assessment by David C. Kopaska-Merkel (Island of Wak-Wak)

Eliza Claudia Filimon and Miguel O. Mitchell served as the chairs for the Elgin Awards, with nominees chosen by SFPA members.

**Rhysling Awards**: Divided into short and long poem categories, the winners are:

- **Short Poem Category**

- First Place: “How to Become a Sea Witch” by Theodora Goss (The Orange & Bee 4/25)

- Second Place: “The Mourning Robot” by Angela Liu (Uncanny 9-10/25)

- Third Place: “Final Moments of a Witch: A Poem Told in Reverse” by Pedro Iniguez (StokerCon 2025 Souvenir Anthology)

**Honorable Mentions** include:

- “Reaper” by Mary Soon Lee (Strange Horizons 4/25)

- “I Try to Explain the Concept of Teeth to My Alien Roommate” by Rachel Linton (Asimov’s 7-8/25)

- “I Was Lt. Uhura” by January Gill O’Neil (Poetry 11/25)

- **Long Poem Category**

- First Place: “Hex Supply Customer Support Log” by Elis Montgomery (Strange Horizons 8/25)

- Second Place: “His New Antlers” by Rick Christiansen (Sheila-Na-Gig ’25)

- Third Place: “One Hundred Thousand Legends and the Longing Underneath” by Gwendolyn Hicks (Dangerous to Go Alone! 2)

**Honorable Mentions** include:

- “Components” by PS Cottier (AntipodeanSF 11/25)

- “A Priestess of Bast Reflects on a Past Life” by Clarabelle Miray Fields (The Orange Rose 11/25)

- “Stationary” by David C. Kopaska-Merkel (Focus ‘25)

The Rhysling nominees were selected by SFPA members and compiled into a yearly anthology. The 2026 chairs are AJ Wentz and Jordan Hirsch.

For further information about the Dwarf Stars, Elgin, and Rhysling Awards, please refer to the SFPA website.