Young Poets Competition


Since 1993, student poets from all corners of Connecticut have entered this prestigious competition-and-mentoring program. If you are a high school-age poet, take a chance on yourself and submit. Ask a teacher, mentor or experienced poet to help you select your best work.

Download entry form (PDF)
Download competition guidelines and entry form (PDF)

Who may enter: Any Connecticut high school-age student who has not won this competition previously.

Entry deadline: Postmarked or emailed no later than May 7, 2009.

To Enter:
• Complete the entry form

• Submit no more than five pages of original poems with a maximum of two poems per page. Include your name at the top of each page.

• Mail your form and poems to:
Young Poets Competition
Hill-Stead Museum
35 Mountain Road, Farmington, CT 06032.

OR email form and poems to poetry@hillstead.org.

• Winners will be asked to email their poems in Microsoft Word format to poetry@hillstead.org.

• Winners will be photographed in a group for program book and other promotional material.

Winners: Finalists are announced by May 14, 2009 and are invited to read before a panel of experts at Hill-Stead Museum on May 22, 2009. Four to six winning poets are chosen, on the combined strength of text and delivery, to read at the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival on July 8, 2009 (all winners must be available to read on this date).

Awards & opportunities

• Participate in a session of individualized mentoring with a professional poet via email or in person.

• Publish in a special edition chapbook (winners receive ten copies each).

• Participate in a public reading in the Greater Hartford area, date & location to be determined.

• Read at the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival’s Night of Fresh Voices on July 8, 2009.

• Receive a DVD recording of Night of Fresh Voices.

More information: 860.677.4787 ext 121 or poetry@hillstead.org.