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Paul Laurence Dunbar Poetry Contest

The Paul Laurence Dunbar Poetry Contest is open to poets in grades 6-12 and adults. 

2026 Theme:

The Mask and What Lies Beneath

"We wear the mask that grins and lies." --Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar wrote, “We wear the mask that grins and lies,” using the mask as a symbol for the ways people hide pain, fear, hope, or truth in order to survive, belong, or be accepted. This year’s theme for Sinclair Community College’s Paul Laurence Dunbar Poetry Contest, “The Mask and What Lies Beneath,” focuses on the masks we wear in daily life. Writers are invited to explore how these masks shape who we are and how we connect with others.

Writers may approach the theme personally, socially, historically, or imaginatively. Submissions do not need to reference Dunbar directly; instead, writers are encouraged to interpret the theme creatively in ways meaningful to their own experiences or observations.

 

Categories: 

  • Grades 6-8 
  • Grades 9-12
  • Adult

Guidelines: 

  • Submissions may not exceed 100 lines per poem.
  • Limited to 3 submissions per contestant.
  • All entries should include a cover page with author’s full name, grade, address, phone number, and title of work.
  • Do not include your name on the pages of poetry.
  • By submitting your work to the contest, you are allowing your work to be included in our award ceremony booklet if it is selected as a winning piece.

Submit entries electronically to dunbarpoetrycontest@sinclair.edu

Deadline: March 13, 2026

For more information, please contact the contest coordinator: Sooyoung Chung (sooyoung.chung@sinclair.edu).

 

Congratulations to the 2025 Paul Laurence Dunbar Poetry Contest Winners:

  • Middle School: Nate Chatlos
  • High School: Claudine Tumusifu
  • Adult: Kara Felkley