Libraries Host Contests to Celebrate National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, and many libraries and cultural organizations celebrated by hosting poetry contests for their patrons. Not only are poetry contests fun for staff and patrons, they are also a way to show people how poetry reflects the experiences of individuals and communities. Many libraries further engaged their communities by recruiting guest judges to help select winning entries. Guest judges included established poets, poet laureates, and teachers.
English and Spanish Poetry
Fresno County Public Library in California hosted their 22nd annual poetry contest for poems written in English or Spanish. The contest was open to children in grades 3rd through 12th as well as to adults residing in Fresno County. The winners will be announced in June 2021, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each age group will receive $100, $50, or $25, respectively. Poems submitted to the contest will be published on the library’s poetry contest blog.
Blackout Poetry
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County in Ohio hosted a blackout poetry contest for teens and adults. Blackout poems are created by taking an existing block of text — such as a page from a book, magazine, or newspaper — and crossing off words with a black marker so a poem is created by the remaining text. The winning poems will be published on the library’s website.
Six Word Story for Students
To engage busy college students, the library at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, Louisiana hosted a six word story contest for students to express how their academic year went. Entries will be displayed at the library in May for other students to enjoy. One winning poet will receive a gift card to a local restaurant.
Ekphrastic Poetry
Four art institutions in San Antonio, Texas hosted an ekphrastic poetry contest for residents of South Texas. Ekphrastic poetry is poetry inspired by a piece of art. Each of the four participating institutions chose a piece of visual art from their collection to serve as a muse for poets. The contest judges selected three winning poems for each piece of art, and the winners were published on each institution’s website. Additional cultural organizations in the area, including the San Antonio Public Library, promoted the contest and winners. The library also posted a guide on how to create an ekphrastic poem.
Teen Poetry Contest and Special Issue
Manatee County Public Library in Florida hosted a teen poetry contest for teens in Manatee County as well as neighboring Sarasota County. The top three poets will receive feedback on their poems from Ashley M. Jones, an award-winning poet who was recently became a guest editor for Poetry Magazine. The winners will be announced at a Zoom reading on May 1st, and a selection of poems entered into the contest will be published in a special issue of the library’s literary magazine, 805 Lit + Art. This is the second year the library has hosted a teen poetry contest.
Librarians who wish to run their own poetry contest can check out Chapter 9 of Libraries Publish: How to Start a Magazine, Small Press, Blog, and More.
