Seeking The Write Words

New Poetry Anthology Leaders Call For Submissions By Dec. 3

The idea is to have an anthology that would be as inclusive as possible while highlighting county poets during this year’s Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council’s (PGAHC) 40th anniversary. The Office of the Poet Laureate announces their call for poems to be included in an anthology and submissions are due by December 3.

The anthology will be entitled “Poets That Dance with Words.”

Created to invite “budding” poets and spoken word artists in the Washington, DC area, its main focus is to highlight county residents and their work. While this is the first time the Office of the Poet Laureate is putting this project together, they’ve been working in the county for over the past three years to encourage creative expression.

J. Joy “Sistah Joy” Matthews Alford, who is the county’s first Poet Laureate proposed the idea of the anthology as a means of highlighting the wealth of literary talent located in and near the county. “The goal was initially to focus on poets who have engaged with the Office of the Poet Laureate through any of the three series presented during my term in office,” Alford said. “As the concept was being developed, we realized that many poets from the surrounding (DMV) area had contributed greatly to the various poetry and literary activities over my three-year term.”

The publication of a poetry anthology is part of the PGAHC’s 40th-anniversary celebration which will be observed throughout 2022. The anthology is scheduled for publication by the end of 2022. As an author, arts advocate, as well as the producer,

Alford encourages residents to submit before the December 3 deadline. Her hope is that they receive plenty of poems from county residents. “We’re really working to get the word out. We do not want people to fail to be included.”

Authors may send up to three poems for consideration. Poems must be sent via Submittable, the electronic information platform that is being used to collect, read and accept poems for the anthology. Submission guidelines are available at: www.pgahc.org/poet-laureate.

There are some important points about the process. The author must certify that the works submitted belong to them. If disputes of ownership or copyright infringement ensue, the poets must pursue legal redress independently. All poets retain full copyright of their works.

“My desire is to provide opportunities for area poets, several of whom may not have previously been published,” said Alford. “This anthology will in many ways tell our story. I consider the anthology to be my final act of service as Poet Laureate to Prince George’s County.”