Open Theme for the Gaithersburg Book Festival’s Annual High School Poetry Contest
Winning poet to be awarded $250 prize at 2020 Festival on May 16
Gaithersburg, Md. – October 10, 2019 – The Gaithersburg Book Festival is proud to announce its annual high school poetry contest is now open for submissions. First and second place winners will receive $250 and $100, respectively. Third place and fan favorite winners will receive $50 and $25, respectively.
Winners will be unveiled at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 16, 2020, at its new, temporary location – Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm (506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, MD 20877).
“We’re so excited to again feature a High School Poetry Contest as part of the 2020 Gaithersburg Book Festival,” said Jud Ashman, Festival chair and Mayor of the City of Gaithersburg. “Student submissions last year were outstanding and the finalists got to meet some incredible poets and authors.”
To participate, students must be enrolled in grades 9-12 at a public or private school, or be in a homeschool program, for the 2019-2020 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 not exceed one page in length. Each student can submit one poem as a Word document (.doc or .docx). File names must only contain the title of the poem (e.g., The_Red_Fern.doc); they should not include the name of the student or school.
Poems must 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 at https://tinyurl.com/yyvgqdpl by midnight ET on Thursday, February 20, 2020.
Up to 12 poems will be selected as finalists and posted on the Gaithersburg Book Festival website prior to the Festival. For the first time, finalists will also be asked to record a video of themselves reading their poems, which will be posted on Gaithersburg Book Festival website. A release will be required.
Prizes will be provided courtesy of Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus.
Complete rules and regulations can be found online at https://www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org/gbf-programs/poetry-contest/. Questions can be emailed to writingcontest@gaithersburgbookfestival.org.
About the Gaithersburg Book Festival
The Gaithersburg Book Festival is an annual all-day celebration of books, writers and literary excellence. One of the premier literary events in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the 2020 Festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm (506 S. Frederick Ave.) in Gaithersburg, Md. Activities will include author appearances, discussions and book signings; writing workshops; a Children’s Village; onsite sales of new and used books; literary exhibitors and food, drink, ice cream and more. FREE admission and accessible shuttle will be available from Shady Grove Metro and Lakeforest Mall. The Gaithersburg Book Festival also hosts author events in Montgomery County throughout the year as a way to encourage continued appreciation for all things literary. For more information please visit www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org, follow us on Twitter @GburgBookFest or like us on Facebook.
