Winners & Award Ceremony
The winners of the 2025 contest have been announced! Read all winning poems on the 2025 Winners page, and relive the celebration on the Award Ceremony page.
Event Rules
- Open to all students from Kindergarten through 12th grade.
- Any form of poem was accepted — free verse, haiku, sonnet, and more.
- Three submission categories: Elementary School, Middle School, and High School.
Submission Period
July 2 – September 15, 2025
Submissions are now closed for 2025. The 2026 contest is open — submit your poem here.
Prizes
Winners were announced on November 9, 2025. View the 2025 Winners →
- $150 High School Winner
- $120 Middle School Winner
- $75 Elementary School Winner
Huge thanks to Kepler's Books for co-sponsoring the prizes.
Disclaimer: Prize money sourced from the local community.
Meet the 2025 Judges
We are immensely grateful to our esteemed judges for their time and care. They are active members of our community and well-published poets.
Jacqueline Berger
Professor Emerita of English, Notre Dame de Namur University
Jacqueline is the author of multiple poetry collections including The Gift That Arrives Broken (winner of the Autumn House Poetry Prize) and Things That Burn (winner of the Agha Shahid Ali Prize). Her work has appeared in major anthologies and journals, and she taught literature and writing for over thirty years.
Learn more about Jacqueline →Kristin Hall
Staff Librarian & Community Development Manager, Kepler's Literary Foundation
Kristin focuses on connecting with community partners interested in Kepler's programming, and on raising the funds necessary to ensure those programs continue. She previously worked as a children's bookseller at Kepler's and completed her Master of Library and Information Science in 2024.
Learn more about Kristin →Jackson Holbert
Jones Lecturer & Former Wallace Stegner Fellow, Stanford University
Jackson is the author of Winter Stranger, winner of the 2022 Max Ritvo Poetry Prize. He earned his MFA at the Michener Center for Writers and is currently affiliated with Stanford's creative writing program.
Learn more about Jackson →Michael Shewmaker
Jones Lecturer in Poetry, Stanford University
Michael is the author of Leviathan (2023) and Penumbra (2017, winner of the Hollis Summers Poetry Prize). He holds an MFA from McNeese State and a PhD from Texas Tech, and was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford. His poetry appears in Best American Poetry, Ploughshares, and more.
Learn more about Michael →Contact
Questions? Contact adigarg@poetrywithoutborders.com.