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Express Yourself Youth Poetry Contest logo

[ español ]

September 18, 2023 to January 31, 2024


Enter the Poetry Contest Enter the Cover Art Contest


About the Competition

  • Sixty finalists will each receive a medal and a copy of the poetry anthology.
  • All finalists will be invited to an award ceremony April 25, 2024, and have their work published by the Dallas Public Library in a bound anthology.
  • One finalist will be selected to receive the Joe M. and Doris Russell Dealey Award of Achievement with a scholarship of $500, and one winner will be selected for each grade category with a scholarship of $100.
  • All qualified poems will be judged on originality.
  • All qualified poems will be judged separately in the following grade categories:
    2-5, 6-8 and 9-12.
  • All finalists will be notified by email by March 31, 2024.
  • The school with the most student entries based on percentage of total enrollment will receive a trophy to display for one year.
  • For more information email libyouthservices@dallascityhall.com.


Rules . . . please read carefully

  1. Poems must be the writer's own work and may not be submitted without the poet's knowledge and consent.
  2. All poets must be in grades 2-12 and live in the City of Dallas or attend a Dallas school.
  3. All entries must be received or postmarked (if mailed) by January 31, 2024. No entries will be returned.
  4. Entries must not exceed 20 lines.
  5. Only one entry per poet.
  6. Poems accepted in English and in Spanish.
  7. Electronic submissions are preferred.
  8. Poems not submitted electronically must be typed or written in blue or black ink and attached to the paper entry form available below. If the judges cannot read the poet's handwriting, the poem will be disqualified.
  9. All decisions of the judging committees are final.
  10. The poetry competition is not responsible for late, lost, damaged, incomplete, or misdirected mail.
  11. All entries become the property of The Friends of the Dallas Public Library & Dallas Public Library.


Looking for a paper entry form?

  • Submit your poem at your local branch using this form.


26th Annual Express Yourself
Youth Poetry Competition


Learn to
Write Poetry