The Landsowne Woods Writers Group is holding its third annual Landsowne Literary Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday. In addition to diverse workshops on writing and publishing, the festival in Leesburg, Virginia, also invites visitors to lunch at the Club House Cafe and attend an author meet-and-greet in the afternoon.
Though a festival dedicated to literature might feel intimidating to young people still learning their craft, these festivals can be extremely enriching, too—providing young learners a platform to demonstrate their skills freely, even outside their age or grade level.
Poetry is one area where students developing literary technique can shine. Though line breaks, rhetorical questions and the usage of non-conventional punctuation are elements found in the writings of skilled poets and upper-level students, students of any age can begin learning these techniques.
Events such as the Gaithersburg Book Festival created a platform for local high school students to showcase their knowledge of poetry and literary technique.
The festival in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is an annual celebration of literary excellence which includes a poetry competition for students in grades nine to 12 enrolled in public, private or eligible home-school programs in Maryland, Virginia and D.C.
DMV teens Chelsea Zhu, Isabela Revis, Ayomi Mukherjee and Ariana Miranda were all named winners of the Gaithersburg Book Festival High School Poetry Contest last month.
This year, the winners were announced by contest judge and local poet Clint Smith, who won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction for his book “How the Word is Passed.”
“These poems demonstrate a remarkable command of the craft and show extraordinary creativity,” Smith said of the top three poems, in a news release. “I am in awe of these young poets. Their work took my breath away.”
Chelsea Zhu, a sophomore at Richard Montgomery High School from Rockville, Maryland, came in first place for her poem “Voyage to the Exoplanet.”
Isabela, an Oakton, Virginia, resident and freshman at Oakton High School, came in second place, and Ayomi, a Gaithersburg resident and freshman at Thomas Wootton High School, came in third, for their poems, “The Bloody Lane’ and “My hair’s twists and tangles,” respectively.
Ariana, a Silver Spring, Maryland, resident and Wheaton High School senior, won the fan favorite contest for her poem, “Color Coded.”
Each received monetary prizes for their wins—between $25 and $250.
But the experience they received by participating in the competition and honing their craft is arguably more valuable. Teens who are encouraged in their passions at a young age might receive the push they need to learn more at the right time.
Next year’s Gaithersburg Book Festival will be held on May 17.
