Georgia Council for the Arts Announces Poet Laureate’s Prize Winner, Finalists

ATLANTA, May 12, 2020—This week Georgia's Poet Laureate, Chelsea Rathburn, in collaboration with Georgia Council for the Arts, announced the winner and finalists of the seventh annual Poet Laureate's Prize.

2020 WINNER

Sarah Lao 

“Seascape” 

11th Grade 

The Westminster Schools 

Atlanta, Georgia

2020 FINALISTS

Ashanti Nyame-Gyebi 

“unheaven” 

11th Grade 

Paul Duke STEM High School 

Norcross, Georgia

Keonta’e Guy 

“Bullet” 

11th Grade 

Grady High School 

Atlanta, Georgia

Alicia F. Mazzurra 

“Hair” 

12th Grade 

River Ridge High School 

Woodstock, Georgia

Clara Allison 

“Snakeskin” 

11th Grade 

DeKalb School of the Arts 

Avondale Estates, Georgia

The prize is awarded for an original poem written by a Georgia high school student. This annual program is designed to encourage students in grades nine through 12 to write original poems and engage in the art form of poetry.

“It's always a joy to read the submissions to the Poet Laureate's Prize, and to encounter so many styles, subjects, and approaches to the art from students across the state,” said Georgia's Poet Laureate Chelsea Rathburn. “Reading this year's submissions while isolated by the coronavirus restrictions, I was especially struck by poetry's power to reach others across time, space, and, yes, even social distancing, connecting people of different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. I'm thrilled to help our winner and finalists find a larger audience for their voices and stories through this award.”

Through a partnership with Atlanta Magazine, all winning and finalist poems are featured on their website. Click here to read the poems.

“The art of writing serves as a powerful form of expression for all of us, but the courage and conviction that it takes for young people to claim and share their own voice through the written word is a skill that will serve these students the rest of their lives,” said Karen Paty, executive director of Georgia Council for the Arts. “The quality of the writing exhibited by young poets across the state was inspiring, and we at GCA are proud to have the opportunity to honor their talent.”

All Georgia high school students are encouraged to participate in this annual competition. Details about the 2021 competition will be available on the Georgia Council for the Arts website in the fall of 2020. The annual submission deadline is at the beginning of spring. Click here to learn more about the program.

About Georgia Council of Arts

Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) is a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development whose mission is to cultivate the growth of vibrant, thriving Georgia communities through the arts. GCA provides grant funding, programs and services statewide that support the vital arts industry, preserve the state’s cultural heritage, increase tourism and nurture strong communities. Funding for Georgia Council for the Arts is provided by appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. gaarts.org.

Marie Gordon
Director of Communications
404-962-4075
[email protected]

Emily Murray
Sr. Communications Specialist
404-640-3195
[email protected]