The Julius Sokenu Poetry Awards is a lively annual event honoring the best poetry in English and Spanish by CT State Community College Quinebaug Valley students. Awards are also given to high school students at the Quinebaug Middle College. Student award winners will be honored in a celebration each April.
Prize Categories and Eligibility
Prizes
1st Prize $100
2nd Prize: $50
3rd Prize: $50
Student award winners are expected to attend the celebration night.
- English: Open to all full- and part-time Quinebaug Valley students only. No QMC students, even if registered for college courses.
- Spanish (Heritage Speakers): Open to all full- and part-time Quinebaug Valley students or QMC students for whom Spanish is their first language
- Spanish (Non-Heritage Speakers): Open to all full- and part-time Quinebaug Valley students or QMC students for whom Spanish is not their first language
- Performance Poetry: Open to all full- and part-time Quinebaug Valley students or QMC students
- QMC English: Open to QMC students only
Submission Deadline is Friday, April 4, 2025, by 11:59 p.m.
Celebration Night
Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025
Time: 6-9 p.m.
Honored Guest Poet: Margaret Gibson
Location: CT State Quinebaug Valley
742 Upper Maple Street, Danielson, CT 06239
Room: Auditorium
Contest Rules and Guidelines
- Submissions must be entered by the deadline.
- Students may submit up to three original poems per eligible category, but can win only one award per category.
- Student entries may be scrutinized using AI and plagiarism detection software. Poems written using AI or language that is not the student’s own (other than short quotations indicated as such and credited) will be disqualified, and the student will face possible disciplinary procedure. Refer to page 62 of the CT State Student Handbook.
- Submissions are read and judged blind by a committee of QV faculty and staff. To protect this process, your name must NOT appear in the document containing your poem. The form will create the ID link between poems and poets, which is necessary to identify prize winners after the poems are judged. Again, the form will ensure that we know you are the author of any poem you submit.
- Prizes are offered in all five categories: 1st place $100 / 2nd place $50 / 3rd place $50. The committee reserves the right not to grant an award, to choose co-winners, and to add honorable mentions.
- Submissions must be made online. Use the form to submit your poem(s) as an attachment. If you need assistance, contact Deneuve Hernandez at QV-Library@ctstate.edu.
- The poem file must be saved using a Word document.
- If submitting in the prize category of QV and QMC Performance Poetry, students must submit both a Word document file AND an audio file.
Contact Us
Jon Andersen | Email: jonathan.andersen@ctstate.edu | Phone: 860-932-4054
Deneuve Hernandez | Email: QV-Library@ctstate.edu | Phone: 860-932-4119