Writing Workshop

Hudson Valley Writers Guild 2012 Poetry Contest Guidelines

Writing Workshop

The Hudson Valley Writers Guild just sent out the following formation on this years writing contest. Every year the genre of the contest changes and this  year it is something that we know a little about here at Albany Poets. The judging panel this time around looks like a very interesting group of poets, representing the diversity that we have in the upstate poetry community. The deadline is for this writing contest is August 31, so get your pens going.

The HVWG writing contest alternates genres annually. This year’s contest is in poetry.

Winners will be awarded cash prizes and invited to read their winning poem at a special Guild program in the fall of 2012.

 First Prize – $100  |  Second Prize – $75  |  Third Prize – $50

Eligibility:  All contestants must be residents of New York State.  Current members of the HVWG Board of Directors and their families are not eligible. Current or past students as well as family of the judges are also not eligible. Judges this year are:  Cecele Kraus, Dawn Marar, Thom Francis, Phillip Levine.

Entries must be postmarked between April 2 and August 31, 2012. Identification/ contact information must not appear anywhere on the submission.  Cover letter should include the following: name, address, phone number, email address, title of poems.  Submission:  3-5 poems per submission.

All submissions must be typed, 12-pt. type, 50-line limit.  Please include title and stanza breaks in your line count.  Send three hard copies by mail, no e-mail submissions.  Poems must be previously unpublished.  Quality of the poem is the most important consideration.  We are looking for poems that are well crafted, have an excellent lyric quality and contain a strong emotional core.  Any style is considered, including prose poems.

Results:   Submissions will not be returned, but if you would like hardcopy results of the contest, please send an SASE. All entrants will be notified of winners by email and/or SASE. Results will also be posted on our website at http://hvwg.org.

For more information, please contact Mimi Moriarty at winterview@earthlink.net.

Mail submissions and entry fee to: The HVWG Non-Fiction Contest, c/o Mimi Moriarty, 3180 New Scotland Road, Voorheesville, NY  12186.

Entry Fee:  $15 for non-members of HVWG, $10 for members.  Make checks payable to HVWG and send with submission.