Poetry & Literature

A historic home for vibrant voices in poetry and prose. Since the press’s earliest days at our home in the Ozarks, we’ve served as an outpost of literary excellence both in the area and in the international community of letters. Cofounded by acclaimed poet Miller Williams, the University of Arkansas Press is home to some of the language’s most celebrated writers, including Billy Collins, Frank Stanford, Ellen Gilchrist, and John Williams. We continue our search for poetry, memoirs, novels, essays, and collections that vivify, problematize, and delight, all the while pursuing greater representation and inclusion in our authorship and a heightened connection to traditionally underserved and underappreciated readerships.

Miller Williams

Miller Williams Poetry Series

The University of Arkansas Press annually selects books for the Miller Williams Poetry Series, awarding the $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize each summer. For nearly 25 years, this series has been the cornerstone of the press’s commitment to outstanding new poetry, honoring its cofounder and longtime director, Miller Williams.

Poetry & Literature News

Now Available! Architect by Alison Thumel

Now Available! Architect by Alison Thumel

The University of Arkansas Press is pleased to announce that Architect, winner of the 2024 Miller Williams Poetry Prize, is now available. “When he died, my brother became the architect of the rest of my life,” writes Alison Thumel in Architect, which interweaves...

The Daughter of Man Reviewed in the  Colorado Review

The Daughter of Man Reviewed in the Colorado Review

LJ Sysko's collection The Daughter of Man, a finalist for the 2023 Miller Williams Poetry Prize, has been reviewed in the Colorado Review. “The varied jewels of Sysko’s hoard make this book worth reading. These poems have wonderfully glib titles like ‘What’s stupid’...

Daughter of Man Reviewed at Compulsive Reader

Daughter of Man Reviewed at Compulsive Reader

Amy Penne has reviewed L. J. Sysko's collection The Daughter of Man at Compulsive Reader. Sysko’s poetics are enviable. I’m jealous of her seemingly effortless ability to float between the particular and the universal with ease. In “tablescape” from the Warrior...

Miller Williams Poetry Prize Deadline Extended!

Miller Williams Poetry Prize Deadline Extended!

  The deadline for the 2025 Miller Williams Poetry Prize has been extended. Manuscripts must now be submitted by October 15, 2023. Every year, the University of Arkansas Press accepts submissions for the Miller Williams Poetry Series and from the books selected awards...

Readings