January 20, 2026 – The second annual Student Poetry Competition and Inkwell: Volume Two book release event will take place Saturday, January 24, at 1 p.m. at the Decatur Public Library. The free event will be held in the Madden Auditorium.
This year’s competition expanded to include students from across Macon County. Seven schools participated: Eisenhower, MacArthur, Meridian, Mt. Zion, St. Teresa, Unity Christian, and Warrensburg. One finalist from each school was selected by judges from the Illinois State Poetry Society, and each finalist’s work will be published in the new anthology, Inkwell: Volume Two.
During the event, student finalists will read their poems, followed by readings from other poets featured in the book. Awards will be presented to the top three student poets, as selected by the Illinois State Poetry Society judge panel. Copies of Inkwell: Volume Two will be available for purchase at the event.
More information about Decatur Area Poets is available at DecaturAreaPoets.com.
