On April 29-30, 53 high school students from across the nation will gather in Washington, DC for the 9th annual National Finals of Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest.
At the event, hosted by Neda Ulaby, Arts & Culture Reporter for National Public Radio, these teens will recite poems on stage in a public forum in order to compete for the top award. Guest judges include poets Ming Di, Valerie Martínez, novelist Tope Folarin, Poets House Director Lee Briccetti, and actor/performer Chris Sarandon.
The finalists have been narrowed down from a pool of 365,000 entrants from more than 2,300 schools nationwide. The top finalists and their schools will receive $50,000 in awards. The public is free to attend, and the event will also be webcast live.