Local aspiring writers will have an opportunity to showcase their poetic prowess this month as the Fresno County Library is hosting its 21st annual poetry contest.
This year’s contest will be different, however. Due to the coronavirus forcing the library branch to close, entries and winners will be announced online.
The contest, which officially began April 1, will continue to accept entries through May 15.
It features four categories based on age groups, which are grades 3 to 6, 7 to 8, 9 to 12 and adults 18 years or older. Each category will have its own judge.
Contest judges consist of local poets, authors and writers.
The winners of each category will receive a Barnes and Noble gift card, donated by partners of the library.
First place will receive a $100 gift card, while the second and third placers will receive cards worth $50 and $25, respectively.
Holding the contest exclusively online has presented its own unique issues, library community relations analyst Rocky Vang and library staff said in an email to the Roundup, including simply having enough entries.
“In the past, we were open to accepting poems in person in the branches, and that gave us some more poems,” Vang said. “We knew that the digital divide will be an obstacle, but during these current shelter-in place-orders, this is the best platform for us to conduct the poetry contest.”
Submitted poems can be about any subject, but entrants are asked to keep them family and children-friendly so that all ages can enjoy them, the email read.
To submit a poem, entrants can visit fresnolibrarypoetry.org, where there is a link to upload them.
Only residents of Fresno County are permitted to submit entries and poems can be sent in Spanish.