Any questions, email Tricia at tbalsan@sawyerfreelibrary.org, call 978-325-5555 or stop by the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street!
Calling all young poets and aspiring writers! The Sawyer Free Library is thrilled to launch the 2025 Poetry Without Paper contest, continuing its decades-long tradition of inspiring creativity in Gloucester’s youth. Running through April 30, 2025, the competition aligns with the culmination of National Poetry Month—an ideal time for young voices to share their poetry and perspectives. This year’s theme, New Chapter, New Stories, New Beginnings, invites students to reflect on fresh starts and new possibilities. The theme also echoes an exciting milestone for the Library itself as it prepares to reopen in September in a newly renovated, expanded, and modernized space.
Coordinated by Sawyer Free Library’s Children’s staff in collaboration with renowned poet and former Gloucester Poet Laureate John Ronan and Library Board member Dawn Sarrouf, this beloved annual competition provides a creative platform for students to showcase their talent in a supportive community of writers.
The contest welcomes submissions from children and teens living in Gloucester or attending its schools in three age groups: elementary, middle, and high school. While participants are encouraged to explore the theme “New Chapter, New Stories, New Beginnings,” poems on any topic are welcome. Poetry submissions may be enhanced with video, images, or music but should be 30 lines or fewer, original, and previously unpublished.
Winners will be selected from three age groups: high school, middle school, and elementary school. First-place winners in all categories will receive $150 Cape Ann gift certificates, second-place winners will receive $100 gift certificates, and third-place winners a $50 gift certificate with Honorable Mention winners presented with a poetry book. All winning poets will receive a certificate, be able to present their poems at an awards ceremony in June, and be invited to appear on an episode of 1623 Studio’s production, The Writer’s Block with John Ronan. Additionally, all winning entries will be on display at and published online by the Library.
Poems must be submitted through the Library website at SawyerFreeLibrary.org from March 1 to April 30. For more information, contact the Children’s Librarian at tbalsan@sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Students do not need to be library cardholders to enter the contest, but for those interested, the Sawyer Free Library offers library cards for children of all ages. Starting from birth, anyone who resides or attends school in Gloucester can obtain a Library card for free by applying in person, online, or by mail. For more information, visit the Library at 21 Main Street, online at sawyerfreelibrary.org, or call 978-325-5551.
April is National Poetry Month AND the Sawyer Free Library is hosting its annual Poetry without Poetry Contest until May 14.
To get local teens’ poetic creative juices flowing, the Library is hosting a series of “Poetry and Popcorn” writing workshops. From Monday, April 3 through Friday, April 7, anytime between 3:00 and 4:00 pm, all teens are invited to SFL at 21 Main to enjoy popcorn and an afternoon of poetry writing.
Munch on popcorn (and lollipops, too!) and write your poems, or join Community Librarian Mrs. O’Neill in creating spatial poetry in which together you will reimagine maps, consider issues of place naming, and develop a renewed understanding of place and belonging.
Drop into SFL @ 21 Main Street this week at any time between 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Registration is not required. If you have questions, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or contact moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5562.
Join the Cape Ann Museum and the Sawyer Free Library this Saturday, April 2nd for an afternoon of painting and poetry.
At 1:00 pm, Patrick Doud will give a presentation at the Cape Ann Museum at its Downtown Campus, located at 27 Pleasant Street, in conjunction with Cape Ann Modern on the paintings of Thorpe Feidt.
Created over more than half a century to date, Thorpe Feidt’s vast, unified body of work is discussed by poet and novelist Patrick Doud. Drawing on multivalent influences including poetry, jazz, fiction and alchemical intuition/lore, Feidt’s praxis results in numinously powerful paintings in which oppositional forces birth new energies.
Then at 2:30 pm, head to Sawyer Free Library, located at 2 Dale Avenue, for an afternoon of readings by local poets Nadine Boughton, the author of the recently self-published book “In the Lap of the Night,” Jay Featherstone, the author of “Glass,” and Jim Dunn to celebrate the start of National Poetry Month.
For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or call 978-325-5500.
Each spring, hundreds of young students throughout Gloucester are inspired to express themselves through poetry and prose thanks to the annual Poetry Without Paper Contest sponsored by the Sawyer Free Library.
Organized by Sawyer Free Library‘s Children’s Librarian Christy Rosso and acclaimed poet and former Gloucester Poet Laureate John Ronan, the contest is an opportunity for local school children of all ages to showcase their writing and creativity in a supportive environment and win top prizes.
With the competition in full swing culminating on the last day of National Poetry Month, April 30, children and teens who live in Gloucester or attend Gloucester schools are encouraged to submit 1-3 original poems on any theme to the Library. Participants can choose to set their poems to video, images, and or music. Each poem may be no longer than 30 lines, be the student’s own work, and previously unpublished.
Winners will be chosen from each age group: high school, middle school, and elementary school. First-place winners in all categories receive $100 Cape Ann gift certificates, second-place winners received $50 gift certificate, and third-place winners receive a poetry book. All winning poets receive a certificate, present their poems at a Spring awards ceremony and receive an invitation to appear on 1623 Studio’s production, The Writer’s Block with John Ronan. All winning work will also be published online by the Library.
The poems must be submitted through the Library website at SawyerFreeLibrary.org by April 30. For questions, contact the Children’s Librarian at crosso@sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Join the Sawyer Free Library in celebrating National Poetry Month for explore the Life, Natural World & Poetry of Mary Oliver, presented by Andrea Brandeis on Thursday, April 8 from 7 – 8:30pm.
Mary Oliver was one of America’s most treasured poets, whose honors include the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Her poetry explores the interconnectedness of spirituality and the natural world. This virtual program is intended for anyone– from beginner explorers of poetry to experts. This program will be held via Zoom.
Register here for the event. The Zoom link will be sent out 15 minutes before the presentation begins. If you register after that, there may be a small delay.
For more information on all the the programs being offered at the Library, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org
Check out THE SAWYER: the monthly newsletter of the Sawyer Free Library to learn all that is going at the Sawyer Free Library in APRIL!
Registration for all virtual events can be found at sawyerfreelibrary.org on the calendar. Links will be emailed to join each event.
Cape Ann Community 