Friends of Coal Creek
Young Poets Competition
A bilingual poetry contest for middle and high school students inspired by transition along the Coal Creek corridor.
Submissions due January 13, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
Call for Submissions
Friends of Coal Creek invites middle and high school students from the communities of the Coal Creek corridor (Golden, Superior, Louisville, Lafayette, and Erie) to submit original poetry in English or Spanish inspired by Coal Creek, a 35 mile watery corridor connecting wildly diverse city, suburban, and natural landscapes.
We are especially interested in poems that explore Coal Creek’s many transitions between (for example) what is built and what is natural; what is native and what is invasive; what is spontaneous and what is planned. We encourage you to observe the seams where different landscapes meet: the dividing lines, the in-betweens. We also encourage you to reflect on the transitional spaces in your own life, in the life of a family member or friend, in the past, the present or future, real or imagined.
Mostly, though, we want you to write a poem that only you could write.
Prizes
First ($100), second ($75), and third place ($30) prizes will be awarded for poems in the following four categories:
1. High School Poets Writing in English
First Place/Second Place/Third Place
2. High School Poets Writing in Spanish
First Place/Second Place/Third Place
3. Middle School Poets Writing in English
First Place/Second Place/Third Place
4. Middle School Poets Writing in Spanish
First Place/Second Place/Third Place
Guidelines
Each poet may submit up to three poems in each language category. Honorable mentions may be awarded at the discretion of the judges.
Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm January 13, 2025. Winners and honorable mentions will be notified in March 2025 and celebrated at an interactive reading at the Lafayette Library on a Sunday in April 2025, in conjunction with National Poetry Month. Winners must be present to receive their cash award. In the case of extraordinary circumstances or illness, a family representative may accept the award on behalf of the poet.
Special thanks to the City of Lafayette Department of Arts & Cultural Resources for funding this project and to the Lafayette Public Library for providing the venue for our awards ceremony.
How to Submit:
Visit Coal Creek. Snap photos, jot notes, let your imagination wander.
Write, revise, repeat! Ask a friend, teacher or family member for feedback. Run your spell check.
Fill out the submission form. By submitting work for consideration, you are attesting that it is your own original work.
Submit by 11:59 p.m. on January 13, 2025.
FAQs
Q How long should my entry be?
A 2 pages or less per poem.
Q How many pieces can I submit?
A Up to three poems per language, up to six poems total.
Q What are the judges looking for?
A The judges are looking for original poetry inspired directly or indirectly by transitional spaces along Coal Creek.
Q Who is the judge?
A Lafayette Poet Laureate ZBassSpeaks.
Q What if my poem uses both English and Spanish words?
A Your poem may use words in both English and Spanish, as well as words in additional languages. You will be judged in the category of the poem’s predominant language. For example, if your poem is mostly in Spanish, but you are using some English and Creole words or phrases, your poem will be judged in Spanish.
Q Do my poems have to rhyme? Do I have to use a certain font?
A Your poems do not have to rhyme. You may use whatever fonts, spacing or justification you choose.
Q Will you accept collaboration poems?
A Each submission should be by a single author.
Q May teachers submit on behalf of their students?
A Yes, if the student considers themself a member of one of the Coal Creek communities. You may use the school mailing address if you like.
More questions? Contact Friends of Coal Creek Writer-in-Residence Erin Robertson at erin@wildwriters.org.