Sophie Awards for Poetic Excellence 2008
introducing the 2008 Poet Laureate....

The Perry County Council of the Arts and Sophie’s Reaction Writers Group are pleased to announce the 11th Annual Sophie Awards for Poetic Excellence winners. This contest has continued to attract area poets since its inception in 1998, with 15 poets entering 40 poems this year in a wide range of forms and styles.

Beth Jacobs of New Bloomfield was awarded the title of Perry County Poet Laureate. Recognized and honored by the Perry County Commissioners, Perry County’s Poet Laureate received a $100 cash prize and will become a featured reader at Arts Council and County events.

Other winners were as follows: First Place ($50 cash prize) to Kenneth J. Little of Marysville. Second Place ($20 cash prize) to Cordelia Jensen of Newport. Third Place ($15 cash prize) to Tony Oliveri of Millerstown. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Sigmund David of Liverpool and Kenneth J. Little of Marysville.

2008 Winning Poems
Winning entries will be posted in the near future. Please check back...

2008 Poetry Contest Guidelines

About the Judge
Judge Jennifer Hill-Kaucher is the author of four books of poetry: Questioning Walls Open (FootHills Publishing, 2001), Nightcrown (a crown of sonnets in a limited edition lotus book, 2003), Book of Days (FootHills Publishing, 2005), and A Proper Dress (2006). Her play, The Hem of the Garment, was chosen for the 2002 Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Alaska with Edward Albee, and three of her plays were produced by Bracken Theatre in the Spring of 2007.  A Pennsylvania Council on the Arts rostered poet, Jennifer conducts poetry workshops and residencies throughout the state and abroad. Her poems have been published in anthologies as well as various publications. In addition, she was the recipient of a Lackawanna County Cultural Council Grant and has also translated poetry from Japanese with Kazue Daikoku, poet and editor of Happa no Kofu.