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
UNP Authors at South Dakota Festival of Books
Several UNP authors will be presenting at the South Dakota Festival of Books, taking place from Friday, September 23rd to Sunday, September 25th. The state’s premier literary event, the Festival celebrates literature in South Dakota and beyond by connecting the very best regional and national writers with our state’s rea [...]
Upcoming Event: Mark Spitzer on Arts & Letters Radio
Tune in to 89.1 FM on September 23 at 7:00 p.m. CST or Sunday, September 25 at 9:00 p.m. for KUAR’s radio program Arts & Letters Radio featuring UCA creative writing professor Mark Spitzer and the controversial fish known as burbot, which is sometimes referred to as “eelpout.” Based on a chapter from Spitzer [...]