On Thursday, November 20th, the Beals Memorial Library in Winchendon hosted its third annual Prize for Young Poets contest. The contest was open to high school students from surrounding schools, and accepted entries of one original, unpublished poem.
Students were required to submit their poems by the end of October, and the week of the awards ceremony, the top ten finalists were notified that they had been selected. These finalists were chosen out of around 45 entrants, and were invited to read their poems at the ceremony.
Oakmont’s Grace Alatalo was chosen as a finalist, and on the 20th, she read her poem and was awarded the second-place prize. Alongside her, Arina Masalskaia from Cushing Academy was awarded first, and Yukimura Takahashi from Cushing Academy was awarded third. The panel of judges that determined the top three poets were DeMisty B. Bellinger, Fred Gerhar, and Jared D’Arcey.
First place earned a $150 cash prize; second place, $75; and third place, $50. The remaining finalists were awarded $10 to acknowledge their achievement of being recognized at the ceremony.
All of this wouldn’t have been possible without Beals Memorial Library Director Manuel King and the esteemed judging panel, so Oakmont thanks these educators for donating their time to support the youth writing community.
When asked about the impact this experience had on her, Alatalo commented, “It was inspiring to hear so many like-minded poets’ work. I never imagined I would place in the contest, let alone have the opportunity to express myself to an invested crowd.”
Also to note, Alatalo was thrilled to receive the second-place prize, and she wanted to thank the library for offering contests like this to high school students. Entering local contests is a great way to share your writing due to the unexpected outcomes that could arise. Oakmont students are encouraged to enter the Prize for Young Poets contest next year, and we wish them the best of luck.
