Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Contest for Youth 2012

The League of Canadian Poets, a national not-for-profit poetry organization founded in 1966, invites Canadian youth to participate in its Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Contest for Youth.

There are two age categories, junior (grades 7-9) and senior (grades 10-12).

First place poems in each category will receive a cash prize of $350, second place winners will receive $300 and third place winners will receive $250.

All winning poems will be published in the League of Canadian Poets’ e-zine, Re:verse at www.youngpoets.ca. All winners will receive Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Contest for Youth certificates and student membership in the League of Canadian Poets for one year.

Deadline: January 15, 2012.

Entry Guidelines

All submissions should be sent by email to readings@poets.ca with the subject Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Contest for Youth.
There are two age categories: Junior, grades 7 – 9 and Senior, grades 10 – 12
Poems must be previously unpublished and must be your own work.
Length of each poem submitted must not exceed 50 lines. Limit 2 poems per poet.
Each submission should include the poet’s name, address, and phone number, age, grade, name of school, and the titles of the poems entered.
Poems should not be sent as attachments, but as plain text files in the body of the message.
There is no entry fee.
Winners will be announced during National Young Poet’s Week in April and posted on the League’s websites www.poets.ca and www.youngpoets.ca. Announcements will be sent to the media, and the winners will be notified by mail and email.

Copyright remains with the poet. Winners will be asked for the first rights to publish their work. Should an entry be published elsewhere during the course of the contest, we ask that the entrant notify the League immediately. Revisions on any poem will not be accepted after it has been entered. All decisions of the jury are final. Contest is open to Canadian citizens and landed immigrants. Members of the League’s National Council, staff or the contest judges or their families are not eligible to enter these competitions.

* Incomplete submissions will not be considered, please read guidelines carefully.