Open to all students from kindergarten to 12th grade. Any form of poem submission is allowed. There are three submission groups – Elementary School, Middle School and High School.
For full contest rules, please click here to view the Event Rules document.
July 2 – September 15, 2025
Submissions are now closed for 2025
Watch this space for details of the Prize Ceremony to be held in November 2025
High School Winner – $150, Middle School Winner – $120, Elementary Winner – $75Huge thanks to Keplers for co-sponsoring the prizes
Contact: adityargarg@gmail.com for any questions. View the event flyer.
We are immensely grateful to our esteemed judges for their time and feedback. They are active members of our community and well published poets.
Professor Emerita of English, Notre Dame de Namur University
Jacqueline is the author of multiple poetry collections including The Gift That Arrives Broken, winner of the Autumn House Poetry Prize, and Things That Burn, winner of the Agha Shahid Ali Prize. Her work has appeared in anthologies and journals and she has taught literature and writing for over thirty years. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Learn more about Jacqueline →Staff Librarian & Community Development Manager, Kepler’s Literary Foundation
Kristin focuses on connecting with community partners interested in Kepler’s programming, and on raising the funds necessary to ensure those programs continue for years to come. She previously worked as a children’s bookseller at Kepler’s Books and recently completed her Master of Library and Information Science in 2024.
Learn more about Kristin →Jones Lecturer & Former Wallace Stegner Fellow, Stanford University
Jackson is the author of Winter Stranger, winner of the 2022 Max Ritvo Poetry Prize. He earned his MFA at the Michener Center for Writers and is currently affiliated with Stanford’s creative writing program.
Learn more about Jackson →Jones Lecturer in Poetry, Stanford University
Michael is the author of Leviathan (2023) and Penumbra (2017), winner of the 2016 Hollis Summers Poetry Prize. He holds an MFA from McNeese State and a PhD from Texas Tech, and was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford. His poetry appears in Best American Poetry, Ploughshares, and more.
Learn more about Michael →Professor Emerita of English, Notre Dame de Namur University
Jacqueline is the author of multiple poetry collections including The Gift That Arrives Broken, winner of the Autumn House Poetry Prize, and Things That Burn, winner of the Agha Shahid Ali Prize. Her work has appeared in anthologies and journals and she has taught literature and writing for over thirty years.
Learn more about Jacqueline →