Congratulations to Carol O’Brien for winning the International Poetry Grand Prize for her wonderful poem “The Woman in the Attic.”  The prize comes with $1000 and publication in the Fall issue. Jeannine Hall Gailey judged.

Carol holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from West Chester University. She is currently an unpublished poet* based in Havertown, Pennsylvania and works for a commercial construction company. Carol’s writing focuses on themes pulled from her experiences with loss, addiction, relationships, and family.

* (Guess what, Carol, you won’t be unpublished anymore!)

We were so thrilled by this year’s competition, which saw entries from as far away as Indonesia, Netherlands, Canada, and Greece and as close by as Atlanta.  Over 450 poets sent their work to us, with a combined total of about 2,200 poems.

Here is the full list of finalists:

• • Susan Nisenbaum Becker
  • Andrea Carter Brown
  • Sara Burge
  • Johnson Cheu
  • Tara Connor
  • Carol Davis
  • Linda Drattle
  • Tyler Dunston
  • Linda Flaherty Haltmaier
  • Judd Hess
  • Matt Hohner
  • Tara Das
  • Hollis Kurman
  • Jo-Ann Mort
  • Dorothy Neagle
  • Terri Niccum
  • Pat Owen
  • Diane Wilbon Parks
  • Margaux Paul
  • Wanda Praisner
  • Sonya Schneider
  • Matthew J. Spireng
  • Elizabeth Toner
  • Terry Watada
  • Christopher Watson

Thanks to everyone who participated.  We couldn’t do this without you!