2020 Poetry Competition
The Contest — Write & Win
Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.
— Percy Bysshe Shelley, romantic poet
A poet’s work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep.
— Salman Rushdie, award-winning writer
In the name of poetry, we implore you…
Today, the communist government of China, the world’s largest nation, is attacking the basic freedom of thought and belief that have been a cornerstone of human civilization throughout history. As China’s influence continues to expand to everywhere from the NBA to organ transplantations to hi-tech products in our homes, we must confront the inconvenient, genocidal reality of a regime that is right now forcing its evil agenda on the world. We call on you—poets, writers, fellow human beings—help us expose the especially heinous crimes committed against a peaceful and law-abiding group of Chinese citizens: Falun Gong practitioners.
We ask you to read real accounts of persecution and speak out, using the powerful voice of poetry, for those who urgently need their voices to be heard.
This contest is an excellent opportunity for those who have never encountered Falun Gong before to research and learn about it, and through poetry, raise awareness among others who have not heard about the practice and its persecution in China.
Submissions & Guidelines
Submit one or two poems of no more than 50 lines each. Poems must encompass at least one of the following themes:
- Advocate for Falun Gong practitioners’ fundamental human rights.
- Expose the crimes against Falun Gong perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party.
- Express why citizens of the free world should support Falun Gong’s rights
Traditional poetry with rhyme and meter is recommended but all styles and forms are welcomed. No profanity please. Poems should be submitted as a Word file or in the body of the email to fofgcompetitions@gmail.com by April 30, 2020, midnight EST.
Winners will be announced on May 13, 2020 in honor of World Falun Dafa Day. Poems will be judged by a panel chosen by FoFG, which will include Evan Mantyk, President of The Society of Classical Poets. The poet must indicate if he or she is an undergraduate college student, or high school student to be considered for respective awards. There is no Submission Fee.
Awards
All winners will be published on FoFG’s website. 1st Place winners (adult, college, and youth) will appear in print in the Society of Classical Poets Journal.
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Adult
- 1st — $500
- 2nd — $250
- 3rd — $100
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NOTICE: The High School and College categories of the 2020 Friends of Falun Gong Competition have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in a low number of submissions in these categories. If you did submit or were preparing to, we apologize for the inconvenience and invite you to hold onto your poem and submit next year. This is an annual competition held until the persecution of peaceful Falun Gong practitioners in communist China finally ends. Thank you for your support!
LEARN MORE…
What is Falun Gong?
Learn more about the persecution against Falun Gong.
A bit about poetry forms.
Visit Falun Dafa Information Center
PROMOTE…
Print and post flyer in your local community: at coffee shops, universities, etc…