North Carolina Poetry Society - Annual Adult Poetry Contest Rules

ADULT CONTEST AWARDS

Entry Requirements:

— Entrants do not have to be residents of North Carolina.
— No fee if NCPS membership is active as of Dec. 1, 2007.
— Otherwise, entry fee is $3 for each poem entered.
— See the "Contest Rules" section below for details.

Contest Categories:

1. THOMAS H. McDILL AWARD
— Any form, any style, maximum of 60 lines.
— First Place: $50; Second Place: $25; Third Place: $15
— Three Honorable Mentions.

   Awards for categories 2 through 8 are:
       First Place: $25; Second Place: $15; Third Place: $10;
       Three Honorable Mentions.

2. CALDWELL NIXON JR. AWARD
— Poems written by adults for children 2 to 12 years of age.
— Any form, any style, maximum of 32 lines.

3. JOANNA CATHERINE SCOTT AWARD
— Sonnet or other traditional form.
— Sestinas only may have 39 lines, maximum.
— Other forms, maximum of 32 lines.

4. MARY RUFFIN POOLE AMERICAN HERITAGE AWARD
— Any form, any style, on the theme of
American heritage, brotherhood/sisterhood, or nature.
— Maximum of 32 lines.

5. KATHERINE KENNEDY MCINTYRE LIGHT VERSE AWARD
— Any form, any style, including limericks or light verse.
— Maximum of 32 lines.

6. LYMAN HAIKU AWARD
— Haiku, three lines.

7. POETRY OF COURAGE AWARD
— Any form, any style, on the theme of courage or crisis.
— Maximum of 32 lines.

8. POETRY OF LOVE AWARD
— Any form, any style, on the theme of love.
— Maximum of 32 lines.

CONTEST RULES

Please do not send membership dues to the Adult Contest Chair.
All NCPS membership questions AND DUES should go to:
Guy & Carolyn York, 315 N. Steele St., Sanford, NC 27330

1. Submit ONLY ONE POEM PER CONTEST CATEGORY. The SAME POEM MAY NOT BE ENTERED INTO MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY. A contestant may not enter a category in which he or she won first place in 2007. This also applies to contests that have been renamed.

2. Each entry must be original, unpublished, and not currently submitted to any other contest or publication.

3. For each poem submitted, send two copies typed or computer-printed on one side only of standard 8½-by-11 paper. Clear photocopies are acceptable.

4. On both copies put the name of the category in the upper left corner. On the duplicate copy only, type the author's name, address, phone number. and e-mail address (if applicable) in the upper right corner. Nonmembers of the NCPS should also type "Nonmember".

5. Winning poems will be published in the NCPS anthology Pinesong, and winners will be contacted regarding permission for possible posting of their poems as "Poem of the Month" on the NCPS Website.

6. Entries must be postmarked by January 10, 2008. Please mail your entries to:

Lee Ann Gillen
220 N. East Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

7. All checks should be made payable to the North Carolina Poetry Society.

8. Your entries may be sent in one package with one check for the correct amount. Please include ONE (and only one) self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) to be used to notify you if you win, and to send you a list of winners. All entrants will receive a list of winners.

9. Mail delays are not the responsibility of the NCPS. Any entries otherwise properly postmarked, but arriving more than seven (7) calendar days after the cut-off postmark, will not be considered, and your check will be returned. All requests for additional contest information must be accompanied by a SASE.

REMINDER: You must be an active (dues-paid) member by December 1, 2007 to qualify for member entry fees. For membership questions, contact the Membership Chairpersons:
         Guy and Carolyn York
         315 N. Steele Street
         Sanford, NC 27330
         yorkshome@wave-net.net
For an NCPS membership application, click on the Membership link below.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The North Carolina Poetry Society retains first publication rights for all poems that win awards. Winning poems will be published in Pinesong, after which publication rights will be returned to the authors.

Contest winners will receive one copy of Pinesong, and will be invited to read their winning poem(s) at the Poetry Society Awards Day meeting on May 17, 2008.

Notification to the winners will be mailed out on or before April 6, 2008. Contest results will be submitted to newspapers after Awards Day. The rules of this contest will be posted on the NCPS Website: www.ncPoetrySociety.ORG

REMINDER: Simultaneous submissions are NOT permitted (see Contest Rule # 2).