Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

What is the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest?

Now in its forty-seventh year, the contest is sponsored by Hollins University and awards prizes for the best poems submitted by girls who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school.

Thorpe Moeckel, assistant professor of English and director of the Nancy Thorp Poetry contest, talks about submitting your poems to the contest.

What are the prizes?

First place (one winner)

• $200 cash prize
• Free tuition for the university's two-week Hollinsummer program where a creative writing class is offered
• Publication in Cargoes, Hollins' student literary magazine
• Ten copies of Cargoes

Second place (six winners)

• $25 cash prize
• Publication in Cargoes
• Two copies of Cargoes

What are the requirements?

• Must be a sophomore or junior in high school or preparatory school
• Students must submit their poem(s) online. Students must have a faculty sponsor.
• No more than two poems by any one student may be submitted (Microsoft Word or text document only)
• Please label additional pages with the author's name, title of poem, and page number
• Each entry must include the following information on the poem(s):
  • Author's name
  • Author's mailing address
  • Author's phone number and/or e-mail address
  • Year of author's high school graduation
  • Faculty sponsor's name and e-mail address
  • Author's school
  • Address of author's school
  • Phone number of author's school

What is the deadline for entries?

November 15. (Please note: contest has ended)

Who chooses the winning poems?

Winners are chosen by students and faculty members in the creative writing program at Hollins.

When are winners notified?

March 2010.

Who was Nancy Thorp?

Nancy Thorp, Hollins class of 1960, was a young poet who showed great promise when she was a student. Following her death in 1962, her family established the Nancy Thorp Contest to encourage the work of young poets.