Long Island Fair poetry contest accepting submissions

East Meadow poet Judy Turek is inviting writers across Long Island to submit their poems to the Long Island Fair 2019 Poetry Competition.

She was recently made the superintendent of poetry for the Long Island Fair, which has hosted a poetry competition each year until 2016 — the same year Turek won a ribbon in the Adult Poetry Category. Turek wanted to make sure they had the competition up and running for 2019, and stepped up to the superintendent position.

Turek, who goes by the gender-neutral moniker J R Turek, was recently named the 2019 Long Island Poet of the Year by the Walt Whitman Birthplace in Huntington.

“My goal is to keep poetry vibrant and alive everywhere and because the Long Island Fair is such a big part of Long Island, I felt I had to step up to this position,” she said.

This poetry competition is separated into four categories: Adult Poetry, Young Children Poetry for those ages 4 to 8, Junior Poetry for those ages 9 to 13 and Young Adult Poetry for those ages 14 to 17.

The theme is “Moon over Long Island” and it is broad enough that “all ages can write about and show many different perspectives,” Turek said. “With the fifty year [anniversary of the] moon landing and Gruman involved, it is a nice easy, acceptable prompt.”

Submissions are limited to one poem per person, which can be written as free verse, rhyme, or haiku with a maximum of twenty-five lines.

Poetry submissions are free and should have two copies of each poem which can be sent by email, snail mail, or delivered in person to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration.

The deadline is Sept. 6 at 4 p.m. and all contestants will receive two free tickets to the Long Island Fair, which will be held on September 21 and 22 and September 28 and 29 at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration.

Ribbons will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners as well as the two honorable mentions. For more information visit www.lifair.org and if you have any questions, reach out to Turek by e-mail at msjevus@optonline.net or phone at 516-481-1131.