2023 Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest Celebration
Saturday | July 15 | 11 am
Winona County History Center | 160 Johnson St.
sonnetcontest.org
The official end to the annual Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest is a celebration of the winners, hosted in person and online. The public is invited to attend this fun event on Saturday, July 15th at 11:00 am at the Winona County History Center. (It can also be viewed online on the Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest’s Facebook page.) Winning sonnets will be read by the poets over Zoom and by the contest’s judges. Following the event, the winning sonnets will be published on the website: sonnetcontest.org.
What started as a local contest sponsored by Winona’s First Poet Laureate and the Great River Shakespeare Festival has grown into an international phenomenon with a reach far beyond our community. The 2023 contest saw entries from 16 countries and 43 states. Almost 700 sonnets were submitted by 262 individuals, including 73 in the youth category. Prizes totaling $3,200 were awarded in the following categories: Top Four, Regional (4), Youth (4), and Laureates’ Choice (16).
About the Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest:
The Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest is an annual event that welcomes entries from around the world to Winona. The contest honors the memory of Maria W. Faust: a Winona State University graduate in Communications; a twenty-year resident of Winona; an avid supporter of varied local arts; and a lover of poetry. Maria’s husband, Ted Haaland, is the contest’s benefactor, with the goal of keeping Maria’s love of poetry alive in our community and beyond.
The contest judges are Winona’s Poets Laureate James Armstrong, Ken McCullough, and Emilio DeGrazia, and Leslie Schultz of Northfield, MN. Heidi Bryant is the Managing Director and Johanna Rupprecht provides administrative support. Great River Shakespeare Festival is a partner and River Arts Alliance acts as the fiscal sponsor.
To learn more about the Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest, please visit sonnetcontest.org or email entries@sonnetcontest.org.
River Arts Alliance serves as fiscal sponsor of the Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest. The Great River Shakespeare Festival is a member of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.