City of Gaithersburg issued the following announcement on Oct. 5.
The Gaithersburg Book Festival announced today that it is launching a poetry contest for high school students. First- and second-place winners will receive $250 and $100, respectively while third-place and fan favorite winners will receive $50 and $25, respectively. The winners will be announced at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 18, 2019. Prizes are provided courtesy of the Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County.
“2019 marks a milestone year for the Book Festival – we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary! We decided to shake things up a bit, replacing our short story contest and giving our young, aspiring poets a chance to shine,” said Jud Ashman, Festival chair and Mayor of the City of Gaithersburg. “We can’t wait to showcase the work of the talented high school students in our region.”
To participate in the poetry contest, students must be enrolled in grades 9-12 at a public or private school, or be in a homeschool program, for the 2018-19 school year. Additionally, entrants must reside in Maryland, Virginia or the District of Columbia.
There is no restriction on form or topic. Poems should be typed in 12 pt. Times New Roman and should not exceed one page in length. Each student may submit one poem. The poem should be the original work of the student and must not have been previously published online or in print. By submitting work to the contest, students grant the Gaithersburg Book Festival a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, transmit, and exhibit the poem, and any portions thereof, via any medium, without financial compensation.
Poems must be submitted electronically via web form by midnight ET on Thursday, February 21, 2019.
Up to 12 poems will be selected as finalists and posted on the Gaithersburg Book Festival website prior to the Book Festival, where the public will be able to vote for their favorite.
Complete rules and regulations can be found on the Poetry Contest page of the Festival website at www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Gaithersburg
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