Annual Roy Chesney Poetry Contest
2024 Theme: “Consider the Lilies” (Reflecting on creation)
1st Place – $500
2nd Place – $300
3rd Place – $200
1st time entrant winner – $100 (Not previously entered a Siloam Springs Writers annual contest)
Author’s choice of Poetic Style, with a minimum of 14 and maximum of 40 lines.
Contest open to anyone within ten miles of Siloam Springs
2024 Youth Contest Theme: “A Walk in the Woods”
Youth Prizes: 1st, 2nd, 3rd
14-17 years: $100/60/40
11-13 years: $75/45/30
6-10 years: $50/30/20
Author’s choice of Poetic Style, with a minimum of 14 and maximum of 40 lines.
Contest open to anyone within ten miles of Siloam Springs
Entries accepted August 1st through August 31st
For more info, write to siloamwriters@gmail.com
2023 Theme: “Looking Ahead”
2023 Roy Chesney Poetry Contest Winners:
1st Place – Gabriela Arosemena “Have You Ever”
2nd Place – Hannah Apperson “Mantra”
3rd Place – Sara Anderson “Extra Credit”
1st Time Entrant Winner – Dennis Glenn Maxwell “Riding Out”
2022 Theme: “Who is My Neighbor?”
2022 Roy Chesney Poetry Contest Winners:
1st Place – Daniel Mason “Even Them”
2nd Place – Charles Blalack “Of Names and Neighbors”
3rd Place – Cherith Mason “Being a Good Neighbor”
1st Time Entrant Winner – Rulon Foster, Jr. “Who is My Neighbor”
Honorable Mention – Sara Anderson “Influencer”
Honorable Mention – Kendra Cooke “Until I’m a Wreck on the Road”
2021 Theme: “A Coming Storm”
2021 Roy Chesney Poetry Contest Winners:
1st Place: “Beckoning” by Michael Marks
2nd Place: “Immersed” by Stephen T. Beers
3rd Place: “The Quiet Before” by Sara Anderson
1st Time Entrant: “Calm Before School” by Hannah Kintzel
Honorable Mention: “Woman – an oncoming storm” by Lilly White
Honorable Mention: “Gaia” by Angel Salomon-January
2020 Theme: “Understanding the Times”
2020 Roy Chesney Poetry Contest Winners:
1st Place: “The Old, Old Fiddler” by Cheryl Ellicott
2nd Place: “Find the Truth” by Rachel Kulp
3rd Place: “Third Way” by Jessica Hotten Wilson
1st Time Entrant: “Do I Understand?” by Carol Linzey
Honorable Mention: “Paradox” by Carl Clark
Honorable Mention: “Oh, My God!” by Mike Ellicott
2019 Theme: “Building Bridges”
2019 Roy Chesney Poetry Contest Winners:
- “Across The Gap We made Ourselves” by Jeremiah Luethje
- “Summer Visit at Prairie Grove” by Amanda Mohr
- “Build Bridges” by Hope Nast
- First Time Entrant: “The Longest Board” by Stephen T. Beers
- HM: “Bridge to Humanity” by Rachel Kulp
- HM: “At the End of Us, a Bridge” by Kendra Cooke
2018 Theme: “Siloam Springs”
2018 Roy Chesney Poetry Contest Winners:
1. “Siloam is Loam” by Kendra Cooke
2. “She – Is Siloam Springs” by Natasha Nathan
3. “Lovin’ Siloam Springs” by Rachel Kulp
4. First Time Entrant “Forgotten from the Census” by Jamie Walt
5. HM: “Who am I” by Dana Ahnen
6. HM: “Our Town, Siloam Springs” by David Ravenhill
For Additional Information contact Siloam Springs Writers Guild siloamwriters@gmail.com