Shelter Island Morehead Poetry Contest reading and award event planned

The Bliss Morehead Grant Committee has announced the winners of the Third Annual Bliss Morehead Poetry Grant competition. The theme for 2024 was “Hope and Grace.”

This year’s winner is Emily O’Reilly of Montauk for her poem “Legacy.” The poem, and a profile of the poet, will appear in next week’s issue.

Ms. O’Reilly will be awarded the Bliss Morehead Grant of $1,000 on Friday, April 26 as part of the Shelter Island Public Library Poetry Project Program. The event, at 7 p.m., will feature a reading of poetry on the theme.

Honorable Mentions in the competition go to:

“Five Days Old” by Edward Brennan of Shelter Island.

“Ode to a Single-Scull Boat” by Ella Carriero of Remsenburg.

“Pentimento” by Bethany Moore of Shelter Island.

The Bliss Morehead Poetry Grant competition was founded in 2022 by Mike Zisser to honor his late wife, Bliss Morehead, a Shelter Island poet and the creator of the annual Shelter Island Poetry Project program.

Aspiring poets from the East End are encouraged to submit their original, unpublished poems on a chosen theme.

This year’s competition was judged by Irene Cornell, Charity Robey and Virginia Walker.