Call for Submissions

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS (POETRY)

As part of our ongoing commitment to celebrate the literary arts and
promote literacy in Prince George's County and the National Capital
Area, each year Capital BookFest (www.capitalbookfes t.com) publishes
a new book, gives away over 500 complimentary copies to festival
attendees, and offers remaining copies for sale. In previous years,
we have given away over 1500 copies of a collection of young adult
short stories and poems, and a beautifully- illustrated children's
book. In 2007, we are publishing a coffee-table book featuring
original photography and poetry.

Capital BookFest '07 seeks poems related to the theme of family.
Specifically, we are looking for poems that explore the rituals and
relationships of familial life; the personal and political of "you
and yours;" the soulful love of mothers and sons, fathers and
sisters, grandparents and grandkids. Whether it's a haiku, free
verse, or prose poem, as long as your pen paints sketches of family—
yours, extended, or otherwise—we will consider it (Think Robert
Hayden's "Those Winter Sundays," Nikki Giovanni's "Nikki-Rosa, " Walt
Whitman's "Come up from the Fields, Father," or Lucille
Clifton's "Good Times.")

Authors will receive two copies of book, publishing credit and retain
copyright to their work, in exchange for the right to include their
poem in the Capital BookFest '07 coffee-table book. Space is limited
to 100 poems. A committee of poets and writers representing the
literary community will select final poems for consideration.
Photographs will be presented throughout the anthology and paired
with the various poems.

The anthology will be edited by Kwame Alexander, and released at the
third annual Capital BookFest on October 6, 2007, in Largo, MD.

Submission Requirements:
-Individuals may submit up to two poems
-Poems may be any length
-Poets must have rights to the poem
-Poems that have already appeared in print publications are
acceptable
as long as
the poet has copyright/permissio n
-Submissions must be emailed. No exceptions. Submit poems in the body
of an email (no attachments) to blackwords@juno. com (Subject line
should say "CBF Poems"). Please include full contact information
(snail mail address, phone, email) and a four-line bio

Incomplete entries will not be considered. All entries must be
received by May 15, 2007.

www.capitalbookfest .com