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The poetry and short stories of Edgar Allan Poe have been selected for this year's Big Read event at Reed Library, involving 19 school districts across two counties, and the general reading public. For a complete listing of events, please visit the Calendar of Events. |
SUNY Fredonia’s Reed Library kicks off its annual Big Read celebration of Edgar Allan Poe with The Big Read POEtry Contest. Poets of all ages are invited to submit poems inspired by the works of Poe or depicting haunting imagery and macabre themes. All POEtry Contest submissions must be received at Reed Library or online by Wednesday, Oct 5.
Reed Library is one of 76 communities nationwide participating in The Big Read this school year. The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading to the center of American culture.
During October, Reed Library will celebrate Edgar Allan Poe with a full calendar of events. Teen and adult poets are invited to share
their poems at the first Open Mic event on Friday, Oct. 14 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Literacy Volunteers "21 East Book Store and Café," in Dunkirk. The following day, Saturday, Oct. 15, young poets are invited to share their poems at the Fredonia Farmers’ Market (Church Street) from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Suggested themes for the Big Read POEetry Contest include, but are not limited to, Halloween, ghosts, monsters, death, darkness, the cemetery, madness, fear, black cats, bats, spiders, skeletons...and all things considered "spooky".
Submissions must be: 1,000 words or less, typed or legibly written, and include the author’s full name, address, phone number, and age category (K-5, 6-8, 9-12, or adult).
Twelve prizes will be awarded in total to POEtry Contest winners including a 1st and 2nd place prize for each age category, two overall grand prizes chosen from among all age categories, and two audience favorite prizes awarded at the BigRead POEtry Contest Open Mic Events.
Each prize includes a gift certificate and an age appropriate Edgar Allan Poe book. Winners will be notified October 13th.
Poems may be submitted online here, by mail, or in-person at the Reed Library on campus. To submit by mail, send poems and required information to Big Read POEtry Contest, c/o Dawn Eckenrode, Reed Library 280 Central Ave., SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia, NY 14063.
