The Kingston Public Library will hold a poetry contest from Wednesday, March 22 through Wednesday, April 12, for National Poetry Month in April. The contest is open to all residents of the Town of Kingston and neighboring communities.
Individuals may submit one original poem in any form, but it must be about the theme, “Connecting with Nature,” and suitable for a general audience. The poem may not exceed 35 lines, including line breaks and title. Poems will be judged on creativity, style, and adhering to the theme. Judges from the Greater Kingston area will pick winners in each age category.
The age categories for the contest will be children (ages 5 to 11), teens (ages 12 to 17), and adults (ages 18+). Winners will be announced on Thursday, April 20 or Friday, April 21.
In each age category, top prize winners are eligible to win a $50 Amazon gift card, second-place finishers can earn a $25 Amazon gift card, and the third-place winners will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. The prizes have been generously provided by the Friends of the Kingston Public Library.
The winning poems will be published on the Library website. Patrons must be able to pick up their prize at the Kingston Public Library.
To submit your poem, please submit two pages. The first page should be the title of the poem and the poem. The second page should be the submitters name, title of poem, entry category (children, teen, adult), grade (if applicable), address, phone number, and e-mail address (if available). Please do not put any identifying information on the first page, so judges only see the title and poem.
Submit your typed entry as a Microsoft Word, Google Doc, or PDF attachment by e-mail to smiller@kingstonma.gov (Please use subject line – Poetry Contest). Typed entries can be also dropped off at the Reference or Children’s desk of the Kingston Public Library. Poems must be in size 12 font. Fancy fonts, colors, or illustrations are not permitted.
A full list of rules and guidelines is available at kingstonpubliclibrary.org. For more information, please contact Steven Miller, Reference Librarian at (781) 585-0517 x6272 or e-mail smiller@kingstonma.gov.