JJC Partners with Joliet Public Library for Poetry Month Contest

Joliet Junior College and Joliet Public Library are partnering to celebrate National Poetry Month from April 1-30 with an all-ages poetry contest. 

“We love to engage our students, faculty and staff, along with the public, in fun ways to interact with words – both in reading and writing,” said JJC Librarian and Associate Professor Michelle Roubal. “Contests and prizes are just one avenue to encourage participation and honor the great work of our writing community.” 

Submissions can be audio or text, and the contest will be divided into age categories: kids (through grade 5), teens (grades 6-12) and adults (18+ years). 

All entries will become a local collection on Joliet Public Library’s BiblioBoard, an online resource that allows libraries to curate unique local content. The contest submission link will be live on Joliet Public Library's website and social media April 1. Submissions will be published by the end of April.

In addition to the contest, the Joliet Public Library is hosting a poetry reading and writing workshop with JJC professor and published poet Kristin LaTour at the Black Road Branch on Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m. The program will include writing prompts, poetry tips and a Q&A session. 

LaTour, along with Roubal and two Joliet Public Library staff members, will judge the contest. 

“Using all the tools a poet has to connect readers to the senses is important,” LaTour said. “If a poem has to come out and tell me what it's about, it's not going to hit me as much as one that uses metaphors, images and sound to get its meaning across.” 

Each winner of the Poetry Month celebration contest will receive a gift card prize.

Per Roubal, JJC has hosted poetry readings and slams in the past but was looking for a safer alternative due to the pandemic. A contest accomplishes that and provides the opportunity to work with another community partner in the Joliet Public Library. 

"Our main goal is to bring the community together: for poets and aspiring poets to submit and share their work with the community and create this first Joliet poetry anthology,” said Louise Svehla, Adult Services assistant manager at the Joliet Public Library. “It's about bringing the community together and people of all ages to show their creative side." 

For media inquiries, contact Communications and Media Coordinator Scott Harvey at sharvey@jjc.edu.