Creative Writing Contest – Poetry: Awards Ceremony

The tenth annual Gualala Arts Creative Writing Contest offers $1,000 in prize money provided by The Sea Ranch Foundation and Gualala Rotary Club, who have jointly sponsored the event since its inception. This year the genre is poetry, and it is open to all full- or part-time coastal residents from Elk to Timber Cove who have not previously had their poetry published in a book or national periodical. Local and school publications are exempt.

Each submission may include up to three poems totaling no more than 100 lines. Poetry Writing Contest entry forms are available online and at the Gualala Arts Center office, at Dolphin Gallery in Gualala and at the Coast Community Library in Point Arena. First Prize of $250, Second Prize of $150, and Third Prize of $100 will be awarded in both Adult and Youth (13 – 17 years) Divisions. Winners’ poems will be published in an issue of the Independent Coast Observer following the awards. There is no entry fee.

In 2004 Rotarian R.C. Vasavada conceived the idea of encouraging local writers by sponsoring a short story competition. He elicited sponsorship from both The Sea Ranch Foundation and Gualala Arts. Subsequently, the contest included poetry and non-fiction on a rotating basis and added a Youth Division.

The submission deadline is Tuesday, April 14, at 4 p.m. Entries must be received at the Gualala Arts Center in person or online on or before that date. Contest sponsors strongly encourage all winners to attend the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, May 12, at 7 p.m. at the Gualala Arts Center, where they will also be encouraged to read their winning poems. The winning poems will also be published in an issue of the Independent Coast Observer after the awards ceremony date. For more information call Gualala Arts at (707) 884-1138.

Writers

Download the Poetry Writing Contest entry form.

Dedline is April 14, 2015.