Poets of the Planet invites its members to nominate a poet whose work combines literary excellence with a commitment to justice, peace, freedom and human dignity.
On December 13, 2024, the 91st anniversary of the birth of the American poet Jack Hirschman, Poets of the Planet established an international poetry prize in his name.
Awarded annually and endowed with €2,000, the Jack Hirschman International Poetry Prize honours a poet not only for the outstanding quality of their work, but also for their commitment to the human values that shaped Hirschman’s life and poetry.
Poet, translator and activist, Jack Hirschman devoted his life to literature, social justice and international solidarity. He believed that poetry belonged in public life: in the streets, among communities and wherever voices of resistance and hope needed to be heard.
Through his writing and his translations of poets from numerous cultures and languages, he helped create connections across borders and generations. The Prize continues that legacy by celebrating poetry as a force for freedom, peace and human dignity.
A first laureate and a powerful story
The inaugural Jack Hirschman International Poetry Prize was awarded to Kurdish poet İlhan Sami Çomak at a ceremony held in Istanbul on June 25, 2025.
Released in November 2024 after more than thirty years of imprisonment in Turkey, Çomak developed a powerful and deeply lyrical body of work during his incarceration. Writing in Turkish and Kurdish, he explores memory, isolation, nature, childhood and hope.
His poetry bears witness to confinement without allowing confinement to define the limits of the imagination. By honouring İlhan Sami Çomak, the first edition of the Prize recognised both the literary strength of his work and its profound connection with the values championed by Jack Hirschman.
The second edition is now open
- All full members of Poets of the Planet who have paid their 2025 or 2026 membership fee may nominate a poet. Self-nominations are not accepted.
- Each nomination must include a supporting statement explaining the reasons for the nomination, together with a selection of at least three poems translated into English and/or French.
- Nominations should be sent to poetsoftheplanet@gmail.com no later than September 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Paris time.
Through this second edition, Poets of the Planet continues to affirm a simple but essential conviction: poetry can cross borders, resist silence and keep alive the possibility of a more just and peaceful world.