High school students are invited to make submissions to the Gannon University English department’s annual poetry contests.

The English department is offering two separate contests: one for high school students in Erie County, and one for students nationally. Erie County students also may enter the national contest by making a separate submission.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in each contest. Submission guidelines for both contests are as follows:

• Each student may enter up to two poems.
• Each poem must be no longer than 50 lines.
• Poems can be about any topic and in any form.
• Poems must represent the original work of the student and must be typed.
• Each entry must include, in the upper left corner, the student’s name, address, e-mail address, phone number and grade level.
• Each entry must include, in the upper right corner, the name of student’s school, the school’s address and phone number and the name of a teacher who can verify the submission. Students who are home schooled should include the information for a parent.

Submissions must be postmarked by Feb. 1, 2013, and should be sent to:

Berwyn Moore, professor of English

Attn: Erie County or National High School Poetry Contest

Gannon University

109 University Square

Erie, Pa. 16541

Winning students will be recognized at Gannon University’s annual English Awards Night, to be held April 17, 2013. English Awards Night is free and open to the public and will include a reading by award-winning poet George Bilgere.

For more information, visit the Gannon English department or the contest site.

This article was originally published on September 20th, 2012 on www.gannon.edu