AKRON, OH.- The Akron Art Museum invites all Ohio residents aged 18 years and older to participate in its 15th annual poetry contest, New Words 2009. Winners will receive cash prizes and the opportunity to read their poems at the museum's poetry reading on Sunday, April 19, 2009.

The museum will accept entries through Friday, February 27. All participants must be at least 18 years of age and must be a resident of Ohio. A maximum of three poems may be submitted per person, not to exceed five pages total. All styles of poetry including rhyming, free verse, haiku and prose poetry are accepted. Participants are asked to include three copies of each poem submitted. Copies that are submitted will not count towards the five page limit. Poems and copies that are submitted must not have the poet's name on them so the poems can be judged anonymously. To secure anonymity, the poet is to include one cover sheet with name, address, phone number, e-mail address and the titles of all submitted poems. Poems that have been previously published are not eligible for this contest and poems that are submitted by e-mail will not be accepted. Participants are encouraged to keep a copy of all entries since their poems will not be returned. The final judge of the New Words 2009 contest will be poet Lynn Powell, author of The Zones of Paradise and Old & New Testaments.

Submit entries to:
Poetry Competition
Akron Art Museum
One South High
Akron, Ohio 44308

Three cash prizes of $125, $100 and $75 will be awarded to the top three poets and the top eight finalists will have the opportunity to read their poems at an awards ceremony during the New Words 2009 Poetry Reading. Held on Sunday, April 19, from 2 - 4 pm, in the museum's Charles and Jane Lehner Auditorium, the reading is a celebration of National Poetry Month. This year's featured poet is Brian Brodeur of Fairfax, Virginia, who will read selections from his book Other Latitudes. Brodeur is the winner of the University of Akron Press' 2007 Akron Poetry Prize and has been published in Gettysburg Review, The Missouri Review and River Styx. The evening will conclude with a reception honoring all of the poets and a book signing by Brodeur.