Beals Prize For Poetry call for entries
WINCHENDON—The Beals Memorial Library in Winchendon seeks entries into the sixth annual Beals Prize for Poetry.
Ten finalists will be chosen by the judges to read their work at the awards presentation on Thursday, Sept. 25. Prize money of $250, $100 and $50 will be awarded to the top three competition finalists. Submissions for the contest are now being accepted through Friday, Aug. 15.
Entrants may submit only one, original and unpublished poem. Contestants must live in Massachusetts or in one of these New Hampshire towns: Keene, Swanzey, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, Troy, Marlborough, Dublin, Peterborough, Jaffrey, Rindge, New Ipswich, Greenville and Sharon.
Submissions must be emailed to: bealspoetryprize@gmail.com (Word docs preferred). Competition finalists will be notified on or before Friday, Sept. 12. All entries will be judged blindly. Previous Beals Prize first place winners are not eligible to participate, and submitters should be at least 18 years of age.
The judges for this year’s competition are poets Sara Letourneau, 2023 winner of the Beals Prize for Poetry, managing editor at Heart of the Story Editorial & Coaching Services and author of “Wild Gardens”; Maria Williams, author of “White Doe,” which won the 2023 Verse Daily Prize, and “A Love Letter to Say There is No Love”; and Cleo Rohn, current holder of the 2024 Beals Prize for Poetry.
The Beals Prize for Poetry is funded in part by the Winchendon Cultural Council and by the Friends of the Beals Memorial Library. Call the Library at 978-297-0300 or go to bealslibrary.org for more information.
Umass Amherst spring 2025 grads
Approximately 5,000 students received bachelor’s degrees in over 100 majors at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Undergraduate Commencement on May 16 at the McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
Below is a list of local students that received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst:
- Athol— Trisha Larios
- New Salem— Austin D. Paine
- Orange— Morgan Virgina Barnes, Colin Matthew Boyle, Astrid Elizabeth Conrod, Alexander Currier and Cristian M. Ferniel
- Petersham—Nathan Michael Legare and Marlena Hope Niedzwiecki
- Phillipston—Abigail Marie Bennett and Amelie Elizabeth Morrissey
