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If you have any questions, please contact Ryan O'Connor, Learning Centre Instructor, at oconnorr3@douglascollege.ca.
Attention all poets!
Are you interested in sharing your voice with the Douglas College community and getting the chance to win a cash prize? If so, this poetry competition is just the thing for you!
The Douglas College Learning Centre is hosting a student poetry writing contest. The top three submissions will receive cash prizes, and winners and honourable mentions will be featured in a digital publication. Participants will be invited to a Poetry Slam hosted by the Library and Learning Centre, where submitting students can read their poems live for a chance to win the Audience Choice Award.
Guidelines
What do we mean by 'little things'? You're free to interpret that as you wish. You are also free to write any type of poem (even a prose poem). It does not have to have a structure, metre, or rhyme (but of course it can)!
This contest is open to all students, whether you are a prolific poet or just someone who likes to express themselves. Poems will not be evaluated based on expert use of poetry conventions, but rather in their ability to move us, make us think, and connect with us.
Evaluation
Poetry submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Originality - Tell us something we haven't heard before and/or in a way we haven't experienced. Give us a unique perspective.
Impact - Make a connection with your reader. Move us and/or make us think. Tell us something that we will still be thinking about on our commute home (and maybe even after we get home).
Coherence - Ensure there is unity in your poem. Give it a cohesive structure and a clear, consistent message or theme.Language - Use language creatively, precisely, and concisely. Create a rhythm with your lines. Choose your words wisely and deliberately, so that they are more than the sum of their parts.
Your submission does not need to include research. However, any sources used must be acknowledged and cited using an appropriate and consistent format (ex. APA or MLA). The word limit does not include references or title page. Your submission must be entirely your own work (i.e. use of professional writing and editing services, generative artificial intelligence, or other outside help is strictly prohibited).
There is one exception: You are permitted (and encouraged) to book an appointment with a writing tutor from the Douglas College Learning Centre to get feedback on your submission.
Your submission may include visuals (drawings, photos, etc.). Any visuals that are not the intellectual property of the author must be cited.
Note: Submissions will not be accepted after the deadline and any submission over 500 words will be automatically disqualified.
The Fine Print
- One submission per person
- Submissions are accepted from Douglas College students only (as of Winter 2025 semester)
- Submissions must be original works of the author alone
- Submissions must be received by the deadline of February 28, 2025
- Ensure your submission is typed, double-space, in 12-point font, with a title page that includes the title of your work, your name, student ID, and email address
- Ensure your submission is saved in .docx or .pdf format
Prizes
- 1st place: $500
- 2nd place: $300
- 3rd place: $150
- Audience Choice: $100
- Top 10 submissions featured in a digital Douglas College publication
Submissions will be accepted until midnight of February 28, 2025 and reviewed by a panel of judges. Winners will be announced at the Poetry Slam event on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.