Poetry Council Annual Contests Open for Submission

POETRY CONTESTS OPEN FOR SUBMISSION

The Poetry Council of NC’s annual poetry contests are open for submission until May 31. PCNC sponsors annual poetry contests in 9 different categories, including best NC book of poetry, free verse, traditional form, humorous verse, and performance poetry. There are also separate contests for NC elementary, middle school, and high school students.

In most categories, first, second, and third place winners are named as well as three honorable mentions. Prizes range from $15 to $100. Winning poems are published in the Council’s annual anthology Bay Leaves and on the Council’s website, and all winning authors are invited to read their winning poems at Poetry Day, held this year on October 1 at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC.

To be considered, poems must be no more than 40 lines, previously unpublished, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Entry fees are $5 for individual poem contests, and $10 for the book contest, but there are no entry fees for the student competitions. Performance poems are limited to 2 minutes and will be performed and judged live at Poetry Day. Complete details and guidelines are available at http://poetrycouncilofnc.wordpress.com/ or from Ed Cockrell at 2906 Gait Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, (919) 967-5834.

Last year’s winners included well-known NC poets Tony Abbott, Alex Grant, Rhett Iseman Trull, Malaika King Albrecht, Sara Claytor, and Bill Griffin, among many others. The Poetry Council is a non-profit organization in its 59th year of working to foster a greater appreciation for and appreciation of poetry in NC.