Gaithersburg Book Festival: Teen Poetry Finalists Announced

GAITHERSBURG, MD — The Gaithersburg Book Festival has announced the finalists for its second annual high school poetry contest.

The festival — a yearly event that attracts hundreds of award-winning and best-selling authors, poets, and songwriters to Bohrer Park — was recently canceled because of the coronavirus.

"Although the Festival at Bohrer Park has been cancelled due to the public health crisis, we still want to celebrate the literary talents of our local high school students," city officials said in a statement.

Here are the finalists:

• Gabriellla Allen – Quince Orchard High School (Germantown, Md.)
• Solange Campos – Poolesville High School (Poolesville, Md.)
• Rina Fishman – Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (Rockville, Md.)
• Darshini Babu Ganesh – Poolesville High School (Poolesville, Md.)
• Kiran Krishnan – Winston Churchill High School (Potomac, Md.)
• Sabrina Mei – Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, Md.)
• Sarah Patch – Poolesville High School (Poolesville, Md.)
• Lucas Reynolds – The Nora School (Silver Spring, Md.)
• Lucy Shen – Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, Md.)
• Trishelle Weed – Old Mill High School (Glen Burnie, Md.)

The first-, second-, and third-place winners will be announced by poetry critic Elizabeth Lund in a video posted on the Gaithersburg Book Festival website on Wednesday, May 20.

"During difficult times, many people turn to poetry for insight and inspiration," said Lund. "The finalists for this year's high school poetry contest provide that, and much more. Their poems are bold, surprising and honest, sometimes heartbreakingly so. The talent and adroitness of these young writers give me hope for the future."

All 10 finalist poems have been posted to the Gaithersburg Book Festival website. People can vote for their favorite now. "Fan favorite" voting will close on Friday, May 8 at 11 p.m.

The first place winner receives $250, second place receives $100, and third place receives $50. The "fan favorite" will get $25.

"This is another terrific opportunity for our future bards," said Jud Ashman, founder of the book festival and mayor of the City of Gaithersburg. "There are some genuinely talented young writers and poets in our region, and it makes us all proud to give them a big spotlight through the Gaithersburg Book Festival."