Yecheilyah’s 8th Annual Poetry Contest Judges: Estefania Lugo


Greetings, Esteemed Poets!

This week, we’ve been rolling out some of the amazing poets who are helping with this year’s contest. Up next is Estefania Lugo.

Estefanía Lugo is a brilliant bilingual creative strategist with a sharp eye for the written word.

She delights in exploring authors’ imaginations and celebrating the richness of their voices.

This contest is not just national but international, and we are honored to have  Estefanía as part of the team!

🫰🏾

If you are on Instagram, please head over to my page here and show her some love!

Reminder: This year’s poetry contest is accepting submissions from now to June 1st!

Theme: “What We’re Carrying Now.”

This theme explores personal loss, collective memory, survival, and the emotional weight of living in today’s world. Through this contest, we are not only uplifting poets, but we are also creating space for community storytelling, reflection, and connection through the arts.

Prizes:

  • 1st Place: $150 Cash Prize
  • Live Instagram Interview with Yecheilyah
  • Winning poem published on The PBS Blog at thepbsblog.com 
  • Social media promotion across all platforms
  • Unlimited bragging rights 😉

For a full list of prizes, including 2nd and 3rd place, please visit the website here.


How to Enter

  • Subscribe to the list here.
  • Read the rules and guidelines on the site.
  • Submit your poem on or before 6/1/26.

Don’t forget to visit and bookmark the website here.

Be sure you are:


Yecheilyah’s 8th Annual Poetry Contest Judges: BrinwiththePen


Greetings, Esteemed Poets!

This week, we are rolling out some of the amazing poets who are helping with this year’s contest. Up next is BrinwiththePen.

Love-centered poet Brinwiththepen inspires safety and inclusion through her poetry and the workshops she facilitates.

Brin joined Atlanta’s poetry community in 2021 and pours into the intentional time and space of writing with The Ink Refill, a monthly poetry writing workshop.

I met her in 2024 when we were both poetry features at the same event. I also got to witness her brilliance at one of her workshops.

We are honored to have Brinwiththepen and her company as part of our judges’ panel for this year’s poetry contest!

🫰🏾

Please help us welcome The Ink Refill to the team!

If you are on Instagram, please head over to @theinkrefill and show her some love!

We have more shout-outs to give. Stay glued.

Reminder: This year’s poetry contest is accepting submissions from now to June 1st!

Theme: “What We’re Carrying Now.”

This theme explores personal loss, collective memory, survival, and the emotional weight of living in today’s world. Through this contest, we are not only uplifting poets, but we are also creating space for community storytelling, reflection, and connection through the arts.

Prizes:

  • 1st Place: $150 Cash Prize
  • Live Instagram Interview with Yecheilyah
  • Winning poem published on The PBS Blog at thepbsblog.com 
  • Social media promotion across all platforms
  • Unlimited bragging rights 😉

For a full list of prizes, including 2nd and 3rd place, please visit the website here.


How to Enter

  • Subscribe to the list here.
  • Read the rules and guidelines on the site.
  • Submit your poem on or before 6/1/26.

Don’t forget to visit and bookmark the website here.

Be sure you are:


Yecheilyah’s 8th Annual Poetry Contest Judges: Joshua “Roses” Clark


Greetings, Esteemed Poets!

Today, we are rolling out some of the amazing poets who are helping with this year’s contest. Up first is Joshua Clark.

Joshua Clark, who goes by Roses, is a Dallas-based spoken word poet, creative specialist, and Texas Chapter Leader of the Poetry Business Network.

He is the CEO of Sculpted Roses Company (@sculptedrosescompany), where his team offers mental health and creative writing workshops, poetry sessions, and public speaking engagements.

We are proud to have Roses and his company as part of our judging panel for this year’s poetry contest!

🫰🏾

Please help us welcome Sculpted Roses Company to the team!

If you are on Instagram, please head over to @sculptedrosescompany and show this brother some love!

We have more shout-outs to give. Stay glued.

Reminder: This year’s poetry contest is accepting submissions from now to June 1st!

Theme: “What We’re Carrying Now.”

This theme explores personal loss, collective memory, survival, and the emotional weight of living in today’s world. Through this contest, we are not only uplifting poets, but we are also creating space for community storytelling, reflection, and connection through the arts.

Prizes:

  • 1st Place: $150 Cash Prize
  • Live Instagram Interview with Yecheilyah
  • Winning poem published on The PBS Blog at thepbsblog.com 
  • Social media promotion across all platforms
  • Unlimited bragging rights 😉

For a full list of prizes, including 2nd and 3rd place, please visit the website here.


How to Enter

  • Subscribe to the list here.
  • Read the rules and guidelines on the site.
  • Submit your poem on or before 6/1/26.

Don’t forget to visit and bookmark the website here.

Be sure you are:


Call for Submissions: Yecheilyah’s 8th Annual Poetry Contest 2026


Greetings, Esteemed Poets!

Happy Poetry Month!!

We are pleased to announce that this year’s poetry contest is now open! Submissions will remain open until June 1, 2026.

Entry: Email Subscription (Free)*

*If you are already subscribed, you can skip this step.

Theme: “What We’re Carrying Now.”

This year’s theme centers on personal loss, collective memory, survival, endurance, and/or the emotional weight of living in today’s social and political climate.

This year, we are asking poets to create a living archive of how they are processing, surviving, and making meaning in this moment in history.

What are you carrying this season? What are we carrying now?

Prizes:

  • 1st Place: $150 Cash Prize
  • Live Instagram Interview with Yecheilyah
  • Winning poem published on The PBS Blog at thepbsblog.com 
  • Social media promotion across all platforms
  • Unlimited bragging rights 😉

For a full list of prizes, including 2nd and 3rd place, please visit the website here.


How to Enter

  • Subscribe to the list here.
  • Submit your poem before 6/1/26.
  • Read the rules and guidelines on the site.

Don’t forget to visit and bookmark the website here.

Be sure you are: