Congratulations, winners!

The winners of Fresno County Public Library's 19th Annual Poetry Contest were announced this Sunday at the awards ceremony. Read the winning poems here. The winners: Ages 8-12: Third Place: "What a Sight, a Cow in the Night" by Savannah R. Second Place: "Drip Drop Drip," by Sofia K. First Place: "Inside My Mind," by Kyle Z. Middle School: Third Place: “A Fool’s Folly for a Heart of Stone,” by Camille I. Second Place: “Freedom,” by Elijah F. First Place: “From the Sky,” by Nadja R. High School: Third Place: "I Stand in the Grass," by Marianne G. Second Place: "In Our Eyes," by Rosy V. First Place: "La Guelaguetza," by Felicia Z. Adults: Third Place: “El Puesto,” by Alexis Ramirez. Second Place: “Shared Space,” by Sarah Addison. First Place: “Granddad the Prophet,” by Bethany Klint.
Congratulations to all who won, and thanks to all who submitted their writing to the contest or served on our judging panel. We hope to see you again next year!

Save the Date: Awards Ceremony May 20th!

Thanks to all who submitted poems to our 19th annual poetry contest! We'll soon be holding an awards ceremony to celebrate everyone's creativity and recognize the writers of the winning poems in each age category. We hope you'll be able to join us!

The ceremony will be held Sunday, May 20 at 2 pm, at Central Library (2420 Mariposa St., Fresno, CA, 93721), and Poet Laureate S. Bryan Medina will be making a special appearance for the occasion!

A note to poets...

Dear Annual Poetry Contest entrants (and poets considering submitting to the contest), 

PLEASE BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR AGE SOMEWHERE IN THE SUBMISSION.

Doing so helps us determine which judging category (age group) your poem belongs in.

Thank you!

FCPL's 19th Annual Poetry Contest

Did you know this April will mark the 22nd anniversary of National Poetry Month? Back in 1996, the Academy of American Poets decided to dedicate the month of April to the pursuit and passion of poetry. Soon thereafter, Fresno County Public Library instituted an annual April poetry contest to promote local creativity and literacy--2018 marks the contest's 19th year!

Take part in a Library tradition and submit your poems throughout the month of April. Submitted poems will be reviewed by a talented panel of judges, in early May, and a ceremony honoring our winners and all of our contest participants will be held on Sunday, May 20 (2-3 pm) in the Saroyan Gallery at Fresno County Public Library's Central (Downtown Fresno) branch. Refreshments and music will be punctuated by poetry readings from the winners!

DATES
The contest runs from April 1 - 30, 2018
Award ceremony held on May 20, 2018 

CATEGORIES
3rd-6th Grade
7th-8th Grade
9th-12th Grade
Adult (18+)

PRIZES
Winners in each category will receive a Barnes and Noble gift card, generously donated by the Friends of the Fresno County Public Library.

1st Place: $100
2nd Place: $50
3rd Place: $25

RULES
All poems must be submitted using the webform on this site, which will be made available on April 1st. Only one poem per person will be considered for the contest. You must be a Fresno County resident to participate. If you are younger than 13, your parent must complete and submit the entry form for you. If you are a teacher and want to submit poems from your class, please call us at 559-600-6174.

New this year: Poems in the adult category will be accepted in English or Spanish (some of our judges are bilingual in English and Spanish.)

Remember: This contest is for all ages so please use appropriate language. The Library reserves the right to not publish or post entries. However, all poems will still be considered by the judges.

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