By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | April 6, 2025

The Pulitzer Center is proud to announce the Eighth Annual Fighting Words Poetry Contest! This contest allows students to respond to the world around them through poetry.

Poetry can help us understand current events by turning facts into feelings and headlines into human stories. It connects global issues to our personal experiences, helping us see how we are all linked. The Fighting Words Poetry Contest invites students to use poetry to explore important topics and raise their voices. Through creative writing, students can reflect on what’s happening in the world and share how these events affect their lives and communities.

Who Can Enter:

The contest is open to all students in grades K–12 worldwide. Students can write in any language. Bilingual or multilingual poems are welcome! Judges will be fluent in English and Spanish.

Prizes:

• 1st Place: $300 and publication on the Pulitzer Center website
• 2nd Place: $200 and publication
• 3rd Place: $100 and publication
• Finalists: $75 and publication

Deadline:

All entries are due by Sunday, May 11, 2025, at 11:59 PM EDT.

How to Enter:

Go to the Pulitzer Center website. Choose a story from the “Suggested Stories” tab. Write a poem of any style or length. Your poem must include lines from the story you chose. Start your poem with an epigraph that says:

With lines from “STORY TITLE” by JOURNALIST NAME, a Pulitzer Center reporting project.

Upload your poem as a text file using the entry form. You may also upload an optional audio or video of yourself performing the poem.

Important:

You must include a teacher contact with your entry. This person will help with communication if your poem is selected. You may list a guardian if you are homeschooled or not in school.

Judging:

The poems evaluation criteria will be:

1. Writing quality – Is the poem well-crafted and emotional?
2. Use of Pulitzer Center story – Are the quoted lines used effectively? Does the poem respond to the story’s themes?
3. Perspective and respect – Is the poem thoughtful and respectful of its subject? 

Questions? Email: education@pulitzercenter.org

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE CONTEST

Now’s your chance to turn powerful stories into powerful poetry. Enter the Fighting Words Poetry Contest today and make your voice heard!

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