Festival Details
42nd Annual Parkmont Poetry Festival
Deadline for Submissions: Monday, February 19, 2024
Festival Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Festival Time: TBD
Festival Location: Zion Baptist Church
Judges for 2024:
Final Judge
Teri Cross DavisPreliminary Judge(s)
Maria Fernanda
Shenandoah Sowash
Rules & Details for Submitting Poems
- The competition is open to any student who attends a school in DC, whether the student resides in DC, Maryland or Virginia. Homeschooled students living in DC are also invited to participate.
- Students may submit previously published poems and poems written a few years ago.
- Students may submit no more than 2 poems.
- Poems must be typed.
- If mailing your submission, be sure to fill out the Poetry Entry Form and include it with your poem(s) so that we have your name, home phone, school, grade, and teacher’s name and contact information. Download the form here.
- Finalists are strongly encouraged to attend the reading ceremony, but they are not required to do so.
- The Poetry Festival Ceremony and Poetry Reading is open to the public.
- If you’d like to purchase extra copies of a Festival booklet, send your request using the “Questions? Contact Us” button below.
Prizes
- $40 Gift Certificate.
- Festival T-shirt.
- Publication in the Parkmont Poetry Festival Winners booklet.
News
The 2023 Parkmont Poetry Festival
Long after the last poem was shared at our 2023 Parkmont Poetry Festival Reading on April 29th, listeners were turning the pages of the winners’ booklet to revisit the words of the 40 winning poets. It was an afternoon full of the dreams, fears, visions, and memories of young writers from all corners of the District. They attend area public, private, and charter schools in grades 6-12, and each of them took to the podium and held the Sanctuary rapt in their unfolding words. The students’ winning poems can be read by selecting their image in our 2023 gallery of winners or by downloading the 2023 booklet here.