Rhyme Time: Grand Rapids Public Library Hosting Poetry Competition

Last year, I was able to speak with Caius Bhagwatsingh, who was at the time 11 years old, after he won the Kent County Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition.

You can read his story here.

Now, it is back!

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What Is The Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition?

Started in 1968 by poet James Allen, the annual Kent County Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition is back!

"The Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition was started in 1968 by poet James Allen at the urging of John Hunting, the founder of the Dyer-Ives Foundation, to encourage excellence in writing and to provide recognition for local work of high quality."

Do you want to submit this year?

The 56th Annual Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition

This year, it makes the 56th annual Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition.

According to the official press release,

"Open to Kent County residents or students, poets can submit one original, unpublished poem between February 1 - 29, 2024. Submitting is free and winners selected in different categories have their poems published in Voices, receive a cash award, and participate in the annual Awards Reading Ceremony during Festival of the Arts in June."

Who Is Eligible For The 56th Annual Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition?

You need to know a few things before submitting to The 56th Annual Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition.

You must be:

• Open to Kent County, MI residents 5 and up.
• Open to students attending classes within Kent County, MI, including at GVSU.
• Open to students who are residents of Kent County but attend school elsewhere.

It is free to enter. Remember that only one poem per person will be accepted. The poem must be original and unpublished.

What Are The Guidelines For The 56th Annual Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition?

Make sure you remember all of these guidelines so you are not disqualified.

Submissions are accepted from February 1st until February 29th, 2024. You have to submit one unpublished poem via their Submittable portal. Your name should not appear anywhere on the uploaded document.

Poems in languages other than English are accepted for consideration with the inclusion of an English translation.

Winners will be notified by the beginning of May 2024.