About Us
Established in 2017, Yecheilyah’s Annual Poetry Contest is an organization that celebrates and recognizes emerging and experienced poetic voices. We host an annual poetry competition, now in its 8th year, that identifies and honors semifinalists and finalists whose work demonstrates distinctive vision and craft. Through this contest, we create a platform for poets to share their work and gain recognition within the literary community.
What Sets Us Apart
We frame poetry as a craft of distillation and sight—drawing from the Gwendolyn Brooks epigraph that anchors the brand philosophy. This contest positions itself as a curator of meaningful poetic expression rather than a generic competition, emphasizing artistic integrity and the transformative power of the written word.
Target Audience: Emerging and established poets who create original, innovative work and seek recognition and community within the literary arts.
Poetry Contests Help To:
Boost Credibility: Winning or placing in a poetry contest adds credibility to a poet's work. Credibility boosts a poet's portfolio, helping them secure other opportunities like publishing deals.
Exposure: Many contests feature winners in anthologies, websites, or social media, providing poets with a wider visibility they didn't have before. This visibility can often lead to paid opportunities.
Earn Money: Speaking of getting paid, contests that offer cash awards, help poets to get used to seeing their poetry as a service worthy of earning income rather than a hobby.
Skill Development: The themes and prompts of contests push poets to explore new topics and refine their craft. Our deadlines also foster productivity to encourage poets to complete and polish their work on time.
Meet the Founder
Yecheilyah Ysrayl is a distinguished multi-award-winning author and poet hailing from Chicago's South Side. She is renowned for her commitment to uncovering and preserving the rich, often underrepresented narratives of African Americans. Driven by a passion for social justice and historical accuracy, her work confronts historical erasure and advocates for a more inclusive understanding of history. Currently residing in Georgia with her husband, Yecheilyah devotes herself fully to writing and publishing, continuing to inspire and educate through her literary contributions.
“I feel a little like Sidney Shaw when she talks about hip-hop in Brown Sugar when I say this (haha), but it’s true: Poetry was my first love. It met me before I knew how to filter myself, before I learned how to be anything but honest. I could be raw. I could be messy. I could tell the truth in fragments and rhythms that mirrored my emotions. Poetry taught me how to arrange my thoughts the way a DJ arranges sound. I learned how to sit with my feelings, work through them, and turn them into something beautiful. Through the written and spoken word, I learned not just how to write but also how to speak and how to claim my voice. And I hope that through this contest, other poets will find their voice, too.”
- Yecheilyah Ysrayl