Contest Deadline: April 30th
Winners will be announced the first week of May.
Ink & Oak is a small, independent literary magazine based in Wake County, NC. We believe that the love of writing begins at a young age. In order to promote writing in North Carolina, we have started a poetry contest for K-12 students that takes place during National Poetry Month.
Contest Rules
1
Residency
All participating students must live in North Carolina. They may attend any form of school within North Carolina (including online or homeschool programs).
2
Parent/Guardian Consent
All students must have consent from a parent or guardian to participate. We will confirm consent before announcing winners or distributing prizes.
3
Original, Student-Written Poems
All poems must be original works written by the K-12 student. Adults and older siblings may help students format and submit their poems, but they may not help them write. No AI use is permitted.
4
Submissions
Each student may submit one poem. Please follow the submission instructions in the description section of the Google Form. Do not include any identifying information (name, school, etc.) in the poem document.
Contest Prize Categories
Poetry Contest Prizes
The K-12 Poetry Contest is divided into elementary, middle, and high school categories. Each category will have one winner and up to three honorable mentions.
Meet Our Judges
Dr. Amanda Bennett
Dr. Amanda Bennett is Carrboro, NC's newly appointed Poet Laureate. She is a Postdoctoral Fellow at UNC Chapel Hill’s Arts & Humanities Grants Studio, with a focus in Grant Operations Management and Creative Engagement. Her work can be found in numerous journals and her debut chapbook, Working the Roots from Querencia Press.
Kaleigh Johnson
Kaleigh Johnson is the founder and Head Editor of Ink & Oak. She graduated from Randolph College in 2022 with a B.A. in English. She currently works as a copywriter, but spends her free time writing poetry and short fiction. Her work can be found in various literary magazines. Kaleigh found her love for writing in elementary school, and hopes to help others do the same.
Contest FAQs
1 / Can NC teachers enter their classes in the K-12 Poetry Contest?
Yes, teachers may enter their students in this contest. However, should one of their students be selected as a winner, Ink & Oak will contact their parent/guardian for consent. Teachers may give students poetry prompts, if desired.
2 / Can I submit hand-written poems?
Yes, hand-written submissions are allowed. Please scan the poem or take a photo and send it in PDF or document form using the Google Form on this page.
3 / What if I don't want identifying information about my student shared online?
Privacy and safety are our priorities! Students may enter the contest using initials rather than full names to protect their identities. We will not share any information, such as location or grade level, without prior consent from a parent or guardian.
4 / Do you have a poster I can use to share the K-12 Poetry Contest?
Yes! Please feel free to download and share this contest poster.