Beverly Hopkins Poetry Contest for High School Students

First Prize: $225
Second Prize: $125
Third Prize: $75

Winning poems will be published in St. Louis Poetry Center’s annual chapbook, of which prize winners receive a free copy.

2021 Contest Judge:
Marjorie Maddox

Submissions Open:
December 1 – March 1

Entry Fee:
None

GUIDELINES:
  • Open to all high school students in the St. Louis metro area living within a 100-mile radius of St. Louis
  • Submit up to 3 typed poems per entry, any form and length
  • No manuscripts will be returned
  • Poems previously published in high school publications are allowed
  • Include name (no pen name required) and email address on each poem
  • Enclose a cover sheet that includes: name, address, phone number, email address, high school, grade, teacher’s name (if she/he/they encouraged or assigned the poems), and the titles of the poems submitted
  • Contest results will be announced in May

Prize winners and honorable mentions are invited to read their poems at St. Louis Poetry Center’s annual Poetry Concert.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Email* entries to:
[email protected]ycenter.org

*If submitting entries by email, attach cover sheet & poems as separate Word or PDF documents. Google Drive documents are discouraged.


Mail entries to:
St. Louis Poetry Center
Hopkins High School Poetry Contest
3301 Washington Ave. 2D
St. Louis, MO 63103

EMAIL & POSTMARK DEADLINE:  March 1, 2021

Congratulations to our 2020 Winners!

FIRST PLACE
Rowan Elliott, Gateway Science Academy
Adagio

SECOND PLACE
Adam Figueras, St. Louis Priory School
If a Girl Kept All Her Kings in the Back Row

THIRD PLACE
Amina Aser, Parkway West High School
My Lost Art Project

Congratulations to our 2019 Winners!

FIRST PLACE
Megan McGhee, Kirkwood High School
Oldest Moon

SECOND PLACE
Ann Zhang, John Burroughs School
Doomsday: The Asian Superstore

THIRD PLACE
Rachel Lyu, St. Louis University High School
Untitled (The World After Wine)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Christina Giudici, Nerinx Hall High School
Rocket Science

Sarah Corrigan, Visitation Academy
Through the Cracks

Madeline Burns, Parkway West High School
February, in a White Nissan Versa