The 2026 Winners Have Been Announced!

The 2026 Poetry Without Borders award ceremony was held on May 9, 2026 at Atherton Council Chambers. Read the winning poems and relive the highlights.

Saturday, May 9, 2026 · 1:00 – 2:30 PM

Atherton Council Chambers, 80 Fair Oaks Ln, Atherton, CA

🏆 View 2026 Winners & Ceremony

"Poetry is the journal of the sea animal…"

— Carl Sandburg

A Youth Poetry Celebration

Poetry
Without Borders

Share your voice across cultures, communities, and continents. An open poetry contest for all students, kindergarten through 12th grade.

Our Story

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Open to All

K–12 students from anywhere may submit. Any style or form of poetry is welcome.

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Three Categories

Separate prizes for Elementary, Middle School, and High School poets.

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Expert Judges

Reviewed by published poets, Stanford lecturers, and community literary leaders.

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Community & Connection

Join a growing community of young poets who inspire and uplift one another.

2026 Winners Announced!

Thank you to everyone who submitted — we received a record number of entries this year. Congratulations to all our winners!

🏆 View 2026 Winners & Ceremony ✉️ Join Mailing List for 2027

Our Story

"I channeled that energy to create a poetry contest that would be open to all."

Poetry Without Borders was born from a personal rejection — and a determination to make sure no young poet faces the same closed door. Founded by Aditya Garg, the contest launched in 2025 in partnership with the Atherton Library, bringing together a community of poets with distinguished judges and a shared belief in the power of the written word.

In a world where freedom of expression is increasingly under pressure, poetry remains one of the most powerful means of self-expression available to us.

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