About The Backwaters Press
Founded in 1997, the Backwaters Press has published award-winning books by some of America’s finest writers. The University of Nebraska Press acquired the Backwaters Press in 2018, with its impressive backlist in poetry and prose that contributes to the cultural landscape of our state and region. As a general interest imprint of UNP, the Backwaters Press continues to plant it roots firmly in the Great Plains, delighting readers with literature of enduring value and consequence. Nebraska is proud to announce that titles under the Backwaters Press imprint will be available as ebooks as well.
The Backwaters Prize in Poetry, an international poetry book competition, was initiated in 1998 and continues under the auspices of UNP. Contest winners are chosen by distinguished American poets; past judges include Hayden Carruth (winner of the National Book Award and the National Book Circle Critics Award), Philip Levine (National Book Award winner and two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize), and Ted Kooser (Poet Laureate of the United States and Pulitzer Prize winner).
Visit the Backwaters Prize in Poetry page for more information and a link to make an electronic submission.
Join our mailing list to receive updates about the prize competition and the Backwaters Press.
Support the Backwaters Press by joining Friends of UNP.
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From the UNP Blog
June Staff Reading List
UNP staff members are always reading new books, both within our list and outside of what we publish. Here are some of the titles where our noses have been buried. “I’m currently reading The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir by André Leon Talley, in which Andr [...]
Memoir Summer Reading List
Summer is the perfect time to kick back, relax, and pick up a memoir written by one of our authors. With our summer reading sale, you can get our nonfiction books for 50% off! From now until the end of July, Lincoln City Libraries is promoting its annual summer reading program and adult readers have the opportunity to wi [...]