Poetry, fiction, non-fiction and children's literature works will be recognized in Bartlesville.

Friends of the Bartlesville Public Library invites you to their upcoming annual meeting and Creative Writing Awards Program.

While the Creative Writing Contest has closed the door for this year's competition, Vice President Connie Lavoie says they are always looking forward to your entries next year. Registration form will be made available at the library.

Lavoie says the registration forms will list strictly enforced rules and guidelines that are simple to follow. That includes the formatting of each piece of work submitted. Also, works can not be published prior to their entry. Lavoie says that will provide original works and encourage writers that may not have had something published before.

Lavoie says there is a hard February 1st deadline to get works into Friends of the Library. The applications open on December 1st every year. Anonymous judges select first and second place winners in four categories and in different age groups with first place winners having the chance to win a grand prize.

Board Member Kristin Duncan has won first place in poetry and fiction before and says there's another perk to winning. Winners have their works saved and available to be read by the public.

If you are interested in reading a past winners work in either poetry, fiction, non-fiction or children's literature, go to the Bartlesville Public Library's Reference Desk and ask for past winners of the Creative Writing Contest.

This year's Creative Writing Awards Program will be held Thursday, April 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room of the Bartlesville Public Library.