Illinois Humanities, in partnership with the Poetry Foundation, Brooks Permissions, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, is currently accepting submissions from youth in grades k-12 for the Fifth Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards. The deadline for submissions is Monday, May 31, 2021.
Continuing the tradition started by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Illinois Poet Laureate herself in 1970, the Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards celebrates the creative expression of youth throughout Illinois. The selection committee chooses two winning poems per grade level. Winning poets receive a small cash prize along with a book of Gwendolyn Brooks poetry from Library of America, a poetry chapbook containing all the winning poems, and are honored in a virtual awards ceremony scheduled for Saturday, August 21, 2021. Click here to learn more about submission guidelines and how to submit.
Illinois Humanities will also be hosting two virtual poetry writing workshops with award-winning poet Tara Betts. On Saturday, April 3, 2021, Dr. Betts will lead a workshop on strategies for teaching poetry, geared towards teachers, parents, and guardians (register here for this free workshop). On Saturday, May 1, 2021, Dr. Betts will lead a poetry writing workshop geared towards youth in grades 7-12 (register here for this free workshop).