Junior Authors Poetry Contest Testimonials
Proof that Young Poets deserve to have a contest of their own
When I decided to offer a poetry contest in 2013, I had no idea that we would attract over a thousand young poets from around the world. Like our short story contest, this will become an annual LTC event. Thank you to all who entered. Your effort and enthusiasm are inspirational.
– Laura
These are real quotes from participants in our International Junior Authors Poetry Contest. If you would like to show your gratitude, please email them to laura@laurathomascommunications.com or post them below.
“Thank you very much for publishing my poem, “Artistic Motion,” on jaBlog! It is an honour I cherish utmostly. It encourages to keep on pursuing my passion of writing. I eagerly await to enter the Poetry Contest starting on 4 January 2016. Thank you very much for keeping it free to enter.” - Terrance
“I very much appreciate the contest for the only reason that the contest promotes hidden talent in kids.” – Aarya
“It is such a rare thing to find a contest open to all ages, and for free, where you can pit your talents alongside poets from around the world. Growing into your poetic identity is a difficult journey and contests like this where you don’t have to worry about fees are an absolute gem. The feedback option helps you to understand how to keep that journey going upwards. And having milestones like being shortlisted, becoming a finalist and placing give you something to strive for each new contest edition. Everything about this contest is rare and incredibly fantastic. I’m sure your entrants from every country greatly appreciate the volunteer work you put in. Laura, you are stellar.” – Lauren
“I very much appreciate this contest and I think you should keep running it because it gives many young writers a chance to test their writing skills. It is also very easy to enter and completely free.” – Sadie
“It really is fantastic to have such an open and inclusive competition for younger poets, one that is easily accessible online, to anyone around the world. I was in competition with poets from America, Britain, Europe… it is excellent that this contest allows the new generation of poets, from all around the world, to show off their fantastic work. And all for free, as well!” – Lucy
“I appreciate all free contests which give young writers the chance to gain practice and exposure.” – Ashleigh
“As a college student I am very poor, and appreciated the free contest entry. Other young writers face the same struggle, and all of us appreciate a contest that accommodates our place in life.” – Rowan
“Thank you so much Ms. Thomas for creating the Junior Authors Poetry contest. By making this contest, you are doing much more than recognizing great poets, but you are also giving a chance to young writers to share their stories, to share who they are and to share what they have to say. So on behalf of all the junior authors and poets out there, thank you.” – Salma
“Your competition is unique in the sense that it is both free and international, making it one of the most accessible writing competitions I, as a student in Hong Kong, have had the luck to stumble upon online. So many writing contests are limited to specific geographical areas, which is always a shame… writing is universal, yet students living on the ‘other side’ of the world often do not get the chance to enter such contests. Understandably, it is an issue of logistics, but it’s always amazing – and serendipitous – to come across competitions like yours.” – Ji Min
“These free competitions for young writers are brilliant for encouraging those who seek experience and validation for both their writing and their initiative.” – Grace
“I enjoyed participating in this competition and I think it should continue. I think it should continue because to students it is reassuring to know that others enjoy reading their writing.” – Jessica
“I appreciate this competition as it has allowed me to see the value in my work and even if I though I didn’t win I can still receive feedback so I can learn from this experience.” – Louisa
“I would really like to thank Laura Thomas for holding this international competition so that young writers like us get this lovely opportunity to showcase our thoughts and talents. I hope this competition continues for many many years to come. I look forward to taking part in it again.” – Arushi
“I think these free competitions are an essential part of growing up. All that is needed to enter one of these is a spot of imagination and a pencil, which can be the makings of a brilliant author. I would like to thank everyone who has given up their time to run these free competitions. I am hugely grateful to you all. Knowing that your work will be scrutinized to the letter can ignite the spark of brilliance which makes a child produce the best piece they possibly can.” – Ethan
“I love Laura Thomas’s competitions as they give me a chance to share my writing. They are easy to enter online and it is exciting to be against people from all over the world. Being free, they create an opportunity for anybody to enter whatever their background. The updates by email are useful and it is nice to be told what stage of judging the poems are at, as in some other competitions I have entered you hear no more after submitting your work and begin to wonder if they even received your entry. The tips and comments from the judges on the blog are useful for future writing. Overall I think it is a really good competition to be a part of and I would recommend it to anybody considering entering.” – Bethany
“It’s a really good experience, and I wouldn’t have entered it if it wasn’t free. I really appreciate it, because otherwise I wouldn’t have had this great experience.” – Stephanie
“This contest is one of the best tools a young writer can have. Even if they happen not to place in the top 8, entering this contest and getting feed back is rewarding. I think you (Laura) should continue to run this contest so hopefully one day we can get all of the young poets out of their shells and writing amazing pieces of poetry.” – Nadia
“I appreciate the Junior Author Poetry contest and the fact that it is free! It has taught me perseverance, a skill I won’t soon forget! I hope this contest encourages young poets to work hard as it did with me!” – Patrick
“I definitely appreciate this free contest as it is an opportunity to expand our minds and our talents. I believe you should continue running the contest because it brightens the futures of hundreds.” – Kailey
I love the website,
It is love at first sight
it is fun and inviting,
and never intimidating–
win or not,
idea will not rot,
talent will grow,
like the river flow–
Ms. Laura, please keep the contest running,
because it gives me a reason to write,
year in year out,
I will never give up.
– Ilyas
“Out of all the poetry contests I’ve entered, this is one of my favorites. It’s free, which is amazing, you can live anywhere and enter, equally amazing, and it introduces you to a website that has writing workbooks, gives suggestions to every piece submitted to their blog, and provides so many other resources for young writers. Not many writing contests have more than just contests; this is truly an unique find.” - Christina
“I think the free junior authors contests at LTC are absolutely amazing. Enthusiastic students who lack the adequate funds to enter expensive contests are provided with opportunities to showcase their abilities. It’s also hassle free and easy to participate.” – Meghna
“I love that this contest is 1, free and 2, available to everyone! It was a great learning experience, and I think it should keep running because it gives kids an opportunity to show what they can do with a pen and paper (or keyboard and computer). I like that I got feedback at every step of the judging as well.” – Anastasia
“My little world has just been coloured in neon lights by this incredibly wonderful and exciting news! For me is hard to believe that the gruelling journey that started this particular poem has brought me here to this grand achievement that I never thought I’ll grasp with my small ideas and I can’t get my heart to stop fluttering beyond control, that’s how excited I am. Thank you Laura for creating accessible contests to young writers, as it is a personal outlet for us to break the mould and show society which is our most severe critic that we are not merely vessels to be filled with mediocre information but to be lit with motivation and imagination. Our words and opinions matter and we have to remain true to our identity. Again, thank you so much and I hope you will continue supporting young writers everywhere unconditionally.” – Daniela Quintero, Winner Category 1, 2014
“It is always important to have free contests such as this to provide young people with motivation to put their passions to the test and challenge themselves. Contests like this should run so that creative, driven writers can come together, even if only online, to share their talents with the world and be able to receive feedback, see their name published, or even just to express themselves.” – Dana
“The idea of a free contest with no national boundaries is very important – it encourages young people to write and as in any other sectors, healthy competition tends to bring out the best in each of us. Personally, I really appreciate this contest and I believe by hosting this contest, you’re nurturing many young talents.” – Zarat
“I found this contest while searching for writing ideas online and a few things made it stand out from other contests. First of all, it’s very easy to enter compared to most others; it can be submitted online with no entry fee. I appreciate how this makes the contest very accessible so that writers with no previous contest experience will not feel intimidated to try for the first time. It’s also great how beyond the contest, you have created a community of young writers. The contest could be a gateway for young writers full of ideas to finally share them with like-minded others.” - Sherry
“Thank you for the opportunity of a writing goal for children, where they don’t have to compete against adults! It was great experience at how the publishing world works, and being free to enter, an opportunity which some would not have had otherwise.” - Bethany
“Thank you very much, I am so honored by everything you’ve done. Your contest has been a huge inspiration for me.” - Shira, Winner, Category 1, 2013
“Thank you, Laura, for encouraging young poets to flourish! You made this contest easy to enter and stay updated.” - Susan, Parent of Contestant
“I just want to thank you for giving writers like me the opportunity to participate in the contest.” - Izzah
“I would like to thank you for all of the time and effort you invest in this contest! I am so grateful for the opportunity you provide young writers like myself.” - Nyssa
“I just saw the 2013 Poetry Contest results, and I wanted to say thank you for everything that this contest and this job have done for me as a writer. Once again, thank you so much.” - Ian
“I think this contest is great. It gives me something short term to work towards, and I bet others feel the same way. Please keep running it!” - Tallis
“I did not win but at least I made to the finals. I wish to say thanks and give my congratulations to the winners.” - Christena
“Thanks a lot for giving young poets a platform to exhibit their talent and interact with their contemporaries on an international level. And more than anything else, thanks for the feedback option, fun facts and stats, and the titbits of advise you keep posting. To sum it up, all I would say is a big THANK YOU!”- Sameera
“Thank you do much for holding these amazing writing competitions. I am dreaming of becoming an author when I come of age, and Laura Thomas Communications has really helped me believe that I can achieve that goal.” - Grace
“Thank you for letting me participate in your contest. It felt good to put a piece of my soul on paper, and it helped me understand my own feelings. I may not have made it to the finals, and I definitely did not win a prize, but I won something of my own. Thanks for helping me write something that helped me find my own happiness again.” - Eden
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