Celebrating artists and their stories in the upstate & beyond. @witsendpoetry ● www.witsendpoetry.com ● witsendpoetry.eventbrite.com
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SUBMIT YOUR POEM TO THE GVL POETRY TRAIL CONTEST!
Each poet may submit a single entry per category consisting of up to three poems. While poets of all ages are welcome to participate, every poem must be an original composition created without the assistance of AI. Individual poems are limited to a maximum of 28 lines, and each line must contain fewer than 16 syllables. There is no cost to enter this competition. Poets must live in Greenville County or have a personal connection to Greenville County.
Adult poets must confirm their availability to perform their winning work in person on May 10th. Adult winners will receive a $50 prize paid via Cash App or check on the day of the event, while student winners will receive a $25 prize via Visa gift card or Cash App. A minimum of six winners will be awarded across all categories.
THEMATIC CATEGORIES: These themes are meant to be broad but should connect to our area (aka don't write a poem inspired by the Rocky Mountains, instead write a poem inspired by the mountains of South Carolina).
- Nature
- Sports (including Baseball, Cycling, Fishing, tributes to GVL athletes etc.)
- Beverages (including coffee, tea, coctails etc.)
- Southern Food
- History (including industries, diversity, tributes to historic figures etc)
- Culture (art, public art, music, tributes to culturally important people, etc)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kimberly Simms Gibbs
EMAIL: witsendpoetrysc@gmail.com
@WITSENDPOETRY
Wits End Poetry is proud to announce the launch of the GVL Poetry Trail, a new interactive cultural experience bringing the power of the written word to Greenville’s public spaces, businesses, and parks. In anticipation of the organization’s 25th anniversary in 2027, the project invites Greenville County poets to submit original work by April 15th for a chance to be featured in this city-wide installation.
"The GVL Poetry Trail is about celebrating both emerging and veteran artists," says Kimberly Simms Gibbs, Founder and Director of Wits End Poetry. "By placing poetry in our trails, museums, and storefronts, we are making high-quality literary art accessible to everyone—residents and visitors alike."
More information on submissions can be found on the Wits End Poetry Blog witsendpoetry.blogspot.com. Poets will receive a $50 prize, publication of their winning poem, public display as part of a rotating stop on the GVL Poetry Trail, and be invited to read their poems at a celebratory GVL Poetry Trail Launch Reading on Sunday May 10th. Please direct questions to Kimberly at witsendpoetrysc@gmail.com.
Founded in 2002, Wits End Poetry has spent over two decades fostering community engagement through the literary arts. The GVL Poetry Trail is the latest initiative to enrich the Upstate’s cultural landscape, offering a unique way for the public to engage with South Carolina’s vibrant "sense of place."
This project is funded in part by the Metropolitan Arts Council, The City of Greenville A-Tax, and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Submissions are accepted via Google Form. Full details and guidelines are available on the Wits End Poetry Blog at witsendpoetry.blogspot.com.
For more information on the GVL Poetry Trail or to follow the project’s growth, visit or follow @witsendpoetry on social media.
The curator and director of the project is Kimberly Simms Gibbs who founded Wits End Poetry in 2002. Kimberly is an acclaimed Greenville poet, literary organizer, and educator who has made significant contributions to the literary arts in South Carolina, organizing major literary festivals and fostering community engagement for over thirty years.
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