Many thanks to all who entered! Winners have been notified via the email provided and awards/announcements are being coordinated with schools. We had so many wonderful entries and are so grateful to all who entered!
Seeds of Art proudly announces its first annual Poetry Contest available to all middle and high school students in Craven County to be judged by Sheila Turnage, Newbery Honor Author and poet. The top poems from each school will be published in the first Seeds of Art Poetry Anthology. Overall winner will receive $100, and winners in Middle School and High School divisions will each win $50. Deadline is March 31, 2025. Winners will be announced on April 15, 2025.
Contest Rules:
Write a Word Bank Poem.
- Choose 2 words from each word bank for a total of 6 words to use in your poem.
- Any poetic form is acceptable, but must be limited to 15 lines.
- Do not change the words, except to make a noun plural or, if necessary, to change the tense of a verb.
- CAPITALIZE word bank words within your poem.
- Do NOT put your name on the poem.
- Use the Google Form below to submit your work.
Visual Arts Word Bank
Sculpture
Painting
Illumination
Canvas
Brush
Creativity
Photo
Focus
Literary Arts Word Bank
Vocabulary
Literature
Story
Ink
Muse
Poet
Author
Write
Performing Arts Word Bank
Dynamic
Cadence
Chorus
Solo
Script
Stage
Actor
Singer
About The Judge:
New York Times Bestselling author Sheila Turnage is a storyteller at heart, best known for her award-winning children’s literature, poetry, and school events across the US.
Sheila is the author of the Newbery Honor book Three Times Lucky, which was also named an Edgar Award Honor book and EB White Read Aloud Honor book. Her most recent book, Island of Spies, was a Grateful American Book Prize finalist for excellence in young adult historical fiction. Her work won the NC Young People’s Literature Award from the AAUW-NC, and represented NC at the National Book Festival in Washington DC. Her books have been translated into eleven languages.
Sheila’s also the author of a poetry collection, Just Off Half-Moon Road. Her poetry and articles have also been published by The International Poetry Review, Southern Living and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and others.
When she’s not writing, Sheila enjoys speaking to groups and leading writing workshops. She’s appeared at scores of book festivals, bookstores and conferences, and spoken to thousands of school children across the US about her creative work – and theirs.
Sheila Turnage lives on a family farm in Eastern NC with her husband Rodney, their dog Callie, a flutter of chickens, and two sweet-faced goats. She’s currently writing a new novel for Dial Books, Penguin/Random House (2026). You can write to her at sheila@sheilaturnage.com.
Thank you for your interest! Winners will be announced April 15!
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