$6,400 in Cash Awards and Scholarships Available
Are you a student or parent of a student who loves writing poetry or plays? Don't miss the opportunity to win cash and scholarships and to show off those skills in the Friends of the Brentwood Public Library's fifth annual James Weldon Johnson Young Writers Festival!
For a chance at a prize or scholarship, youth in grades 3-12 are asked to submit a poem or dramatic monologue by May 16, 2026 on the theme "Our Voices Matter — What Peace Looks Like to Me." Students must also attend and engage in Festival workshops and activities June 10-13, 2026.
The multi-day Festival at the Conference Center at Main Library will feature career speakers and workshops on creative writing, book cover design, poetry music, poetry dance, and field experiences. Festivities conclude on Saturday, June 13, with awards and presentations by students.
Let your voice be heard and your story be seen! For more information, visit the Friends of the Brentwood Public Library website.
Guest Presenters
This year, author and award-winning filmmaker Nola D. Oracle and Emmy Award-winning local journalist and news anchor Tenikka Hughes join the Festival as guests of honor, working directly with kids and teens on their writing skills.
Nola D. Oracle is a retired U.S. Army veteran from Jacksonville and Lake City, Florida. After her military service, she studied theater and scriptwriting at LaGuardia College and Africana studies at Brooklyn College before earning a business management degree from Rasmussen University. Blending her creative vision with business acumen, Nola D. founded Diaspora Whispers Studios, where she serves as CEO. She is also the founder and CEO of Diaspora Whispers Books, a publishing company focused on culturally enriching stories like her 2024 book Amara's Adventures.
Tenikka Hughes has a passion for storytelling and providing information that impacts the lives of viewers and their families. Her career in television news spans nearly 20 years. A youth literacy and education advocate, she volunteers countless hours speaking to children and reading at local schools, libraries, daycares and community events. She is the driving force behind “Tenikka’s Books for Kids,” an annual book drive that has put over 40,000 free books in the hands of local children since 2018.
Important Dates & Information
Submission Deadline
Submit your poem or monologue online, along with the $25 entry fee, by May 16, 2026. Submissions may also be dropped off in person at:
Brentwood Branch Library
3725 N. Pearl St., Jacksonville, FL 32206
For more questions, email jwjlifteveryvoice@gmail.com.
Young Writer's Festival
Wednesday - Saturday, June 10-13, 2025
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Jacksonville Public Library - Main Library (Conference Center)
303 N. Laura St., Jacksonville, FL 32202
Contest Rules
Students Participation Requirements
Students must complete all activities to receive cash and scholarship awards. Student not meeting the attendance and participation in program activities will be automatically disqualified from receiving cash awards and scholarship prizes.
- Approved application
- Submit Original Poetry and Dramatic Monologue
- Keep a written journal of original poetry
- Attend Career Day
- Attend Young Authors Awards Ceremony
- Attend the workshop series with professional writers and visual and performing artists
- Display good behavior
Poetry Rules
- Submissions must represent the entrant's original work.
- The theme is “Our Voices Matter – What Peace Looks Like to Me,” though alternative subjects are permitted.
- The poem must be at least 10 lines, but not more than 22 lines. It can be rhymed or free verse.
- Poems may be composed in any style except concrete (shape poems) or blackout poems, which utilize another author's text.
- Content must remain free of vulgarity, offensive language, and profanity;
- The poem must have a title or the word Untitled in the space where a specific title would be.
- If submitting in person, it must be typewritten, double-spaced on regular 8 1/2" by 11” bond paper, and authenticated for originality by a parent or teacher.
- Two copies of the poem must be provided. Student's full name, parent name, address, phone number, email address, school name, and grade must be placed at the bottom of each page for identification.
- The student is limited to submitting one poem. Entrants in the poetry category are not eligible to submit a monologue.
Poetry Judging Criteria
| 1. Creative Ideas | 20 |
| 2. Length (10 lines minimum, 25 lines maximum) | 20 |
| 3. Subject Appropriateness/Knowledge | 15 |
| 4. Language (Correct words/phrases) | 15 |
| 5. Readability (Rhythm and flow of ideas) | 15 |
| 6. Style (That intangible quality of individuality) | 15 |
| Total Points | 100 |
Entries that fail to meet line requirements or contain inappropriate content—including profanity, vulgarity, or offensive language—will be disqualified. Submitting both a poem and a monologue will result in disqualification.
Dramatic Monologue Rules
- Participants are invited to submit one original monologue with a minimum of 22 lines.
- Monologues must be memorized and focus on the life and achievements of a notable African American, ensuring factual accuracy.
- The tone may be serious or humorous but the language used must be respectful and free from profanity.
- For monologue submissions, entry will also require a performance video of the work. In performance, the monologue must be at least three (3) minutes or no more and five (5) minutes.
- It must be based on facts. Only three (3) lines that are quoted from any other speaker or writer are allowed, and the langue used must be respectful and free from profanity.
- A title, or "Untitled," should be included.
- In written form, it must be typewritten, double-spaced on 8 ½" by 11" bond paper, and authenticated for originality by a teacher, and parent/guardian.
- Student's full name, parent name, address, phone number, email address, school name, and grade must be placed at the bottom of each page for identification.
- The student is limited to submitting one dramatic monologue. Please note that entrants to this category may not submit a poem.
Judging Monologue Criteria
| 1. Creative Ideas | 20 |
| 2. Length (3 to 5 Minutes) | 20 |
| 3. Subject | 15 |
| 4. Language Usage | 15 |
| 5. Delivery | 20 |
| 6. Style | 10 |
| Total Points | 100 |
Disqualification may occur for not adhering to line limits, submitting inappropriate content, or submitting both a poem and a monologue.
Prizes By Age Group
Poetry Prizes
$600 for Elementary Division (EM) Grades 3-5
1st Place $300, 2nd Place $200, 3rd Place $100
$900 for Middle High (MH) Division Grades 6-8
1st Place $400, 2nd Place $300, 3rd Place $200
$1200 for Senior High (SH) Division Grades 9-12
1st Place $500, 2nd Place $400, 3rd Place $300
Monologue Prizes
$600 for Elementary Division (EM) Grades 3-5
1st Place $300, 2nd Place $200, 3rd Place $100
$900 for Middle High (MH) Division Grades 6-8
1st Place $400, 2nd Place $300, 3rd Place $200
$1200 for Senior High (SH) Division Grades 9-12
1st Place $500, 2nd Place $400, 3rd Place $300
On Site Book Cover Art Contest
$150 for Elementary Division (EM) Grades 3-5
1st Place $75, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25
$225 for Middle High Division (MH) Grades 6-8
1st Place $100, 2nd Place $75, 3rd Place $50
$325 for Senior High Division (SH) Grades 9-12
1st Place $150, 2nd Place $100, 3rd Place $75
Other Prizes
Additionally, prizes will be awarded through a random drawing, which is based on participation rather than artistic skills, to motivate all students to engage in literature activities To be announced by the Friends of the Brentwood Branch Library.
James Weldon Johnson Young Writers Festival
Mission Statement
To use poetry, visual, and performing arts as a vehicle to impact youth academic engagement and performance, social-emotional development, and to develop writing and analytical skills giving children and youth a greater understanding of themselves and others.
Goals: Educate Youth, Young Authors Awards Ceremony, Family Fun Community Celebratory Activities, Author’s Book Exhibit, and Career Day.
Honorary Chair
Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole is an award-winning anthropologist, educator, and cultural leader born in Jacksonville, Florida. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has served as a professor, college president, and museum director, including leadership roles at Spelman College, Bennett College, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. In 2021, she received the National Humanities Medal for her pioneering scholarship and for advancing greater understanding of Black culture, racial inclusion, and the contributions of Afro-Latin, Caribbean, and African communities.
About Sharon Coon
This program is the brainchild of Matriarch Sharon Coon, founder of The Friends of Brentwood Public Library, Inc. She has spent over 40 years promoting the legacy of James Weldon Johnson and his family roots in the Jacksonville, Florida community. Her leadership has brought many initiatives to life: from the James Weldon Johnson Heritage Trail to the Poetry and Dramatic Arts Contest; a successful state campaign for James Weldon Johnson application acceptance into the Florida Artist Hall of Fame; the James Weldon Johnson Festival; the JWJ Young Writers Festival; Jacksonville: Then and Now Documentary; James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson Youth Piano Competition; Sharing Your Story; and the annual celebration of “Lift Every Voice and Sing."
"Our programs have inspired young people to become Broadway performers, teachers, authors, lawyers, nurses, entrepreneurs, and politicians. Each success is a powerful reminder that investing in our children's education and well-being unlocks extraordinary possibilities."
