Palatine Library Announces Poetry Contest Winners
In celebration of National Poetry Month this April, Palatine Public Library District hosted its eighth annual poetry contest. Nearly 160 poets of all age groups rose to the challenge by submitting original pieces. Work by residents of the library district were considered for the Nancy J. Heggem Poetry Awards, and work by poets living beyond the district's boundaries were considered for the library's Write On! Awards.
Entries were read and discussed by professional local poets who served as contest judges. Nancy Heggem coordinated the judging and donated the prizes for the award named in her honor, while the nonresident awards were determined by poets Kate Hutchinson and Terry Loncaric. The winners were announced at a special ceremony on Saturday, May 6. Over 100 people attended the event, which included refreshments; musical entertainment by the Palatine High School Chamber Strings; additional prize drawings; an Open Mic; and a surprise cameo by the Palatine Historical Society's mascot, Clayson.
Each winner of the Nancy J. Heggem Awards and the Write On! Awards received a certificate and a cash prize. Three additional performance-based prizes were awarded following the Open Mic at Saturday's event; the top Open Mic Award winner received an Amazon gift card.
"This event would not have been possible without the support of our community, benefactors, teen volunteers, and volunteer judges," reflects librarian Tracie Padal. "While we can only give away a handful of prizes, it was truly a pleasure to read each and every entry, and we hope that all of the participants continue to make poetry a part of their lives."
The 2017 Nancy J. Heggem Award winners are: Youth (Lower Elementary): "I Tried to Do a Cartwheel" by Finn Perry; Youth (Upper Elementary): "Books" by Ruth Hall; Teen: "A Day in the Life of My Favorite Shoes" by Greta Elmer; and Adult Winner: "Palatine Library, 1980" by Erin Boudreau.
The 2017 Write On! Award winners are: Youth: "My Heart if Forever Beating" by Caroline Turnbull; Teen: "Pipe" by Mollie Kic; and Adult Winner: "Hope After 2017" by Marjorie Skelly.
The 2017 Open Mic Awards: Winner: Safa Saied; Honorable Mention: Regina Heiser and Timothy Finlay.
To read these award-winning poems, visit http://www.palatinelibrary.org/news/winning-entries-of-the-2017-poetry-contest.
Palatine Public Library District is your destination for knowledge, entertainment, and community. The Library serves approximately 90,000 residents predominantly within the communities of Palatine and Hoffman Estates.