A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Poetry Unites Kentucky contest deadline extended to Oct. 1; contest on favorite poem open to Kentuckians


Responding to several requests from the prospective contest’s participants, the Poetry Unites Kentucky contest’s deadline has been extended to Oct. 1.

The Poetry Unites Kentucky contest for the best essay on a favorite poem is open to all Kentuckians and is inviting them to write about their favorite poem. Eight finalists will be chosen from submitted essays and from those four will be selected to appear in a 30-minute episode titled “Poetry Unites Kentucky.”

The PUK guidelines:

Participants are asked to write a two-page (or 600-word) piece about their favorite poem and about its importance in their lives. The selected poem should be by a published poet. The contest participant’s essay can be in any style or form, but the piece should touch upon the following three questions:

1. What’s your favorite poem, who wrote it, and when did you read it for the first time?

2. Why is this poem important to you?

3. Please provide some information about yourself: what does your day look like, what are your dreams, what do you expect from life?

The jury, headed by State Poet Laureate of Kentucky Jeff Worley, will select eight winners and each of their essays will be awarded a Certificate of Merit. The four winners will be selected by the film director to be featured in a 30-minute documentary.

The Background

Poetry Unites Kentucky is the third episode in the “Poetry Unites America” series, which had previously featured New York and Kansas.

The series came to the United States in 2014 after beginning in 2006 as “Poetry Unites” in Poland, the native country of “Poetry Unites America” writer, director and producer Ewa Zadrzynska. Two other states have participated in “Poetry Unites America” since it began in the U.S. — New York in 2014, and Kansas in 2017.

The Poetry Unites films featured poetry enthusiasts in Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Israel and the United States. The youngest protagonist of the Poetry Unites films was 6, the oldest 94, they came from various cities, towns, villages, countries, religions and cultures. They all had one thing in common: the love of Poetry.

Watch some short profiles of the previous winners at www.poetryunitesamerica.com.

From Poetry Unites Kentucky


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