Armenian Studies Association Announces 2013 "Arthur Halvajian Memorial" Armenian Poetry Competition

The Armenian Students Association, Inc. (ASA) announced that it will once again be sponsoring the Armenian Poetry Project's annual writing competition. This is the fourth year that the ASA has sponsored the annual competition named in memory of Arthur Halvajian, a longtime member and trustee of the ASA who passed away in 2010. The 2013 competition opened December 1st and the deadline for submissions is February 28, 2014. Competition winners will be announced in March 2014.

"We are happy continue our support of the Armenian Poetry Project in honor of Arthur Halvajian who first built our relationship with the Project," said Brian Assadourian, Chairman of the ASA. Board of Trustees. "We are encouraged by the hundreds of individuals from elementary and high school students to college students and post-graduates who participate in the competition. Their involvement shows that the Armenian community continues to value and promote the creative writing which has been a hallmark of the rich cultural tradition of the Armenian nation throughout the centuries."

The Armenian Poetry Project, led by Lola Koundakjian, is a research and documentation site of 19th to 21st Century Armenian poets and poetry. Whether it is through its website/blog, Facebook, or iTunes presence - which features podcasts of recited works - the Project brings together writers from all walks of life across the world.

All residents of the United States and Canada are invited to submit their work, in English or Armenian (preferred) for the competition. Entries should be e-mailed to ArmenianPoetryProject@gmail.com with the subject heading "Halvajian ASA/APP Poetry competition".  Individuals may only submit one poem for the competition.

The competition groups submissions into three categories; students (ages 12-17), college age (ages 18-22), and adult (ages 23 and older). A top prize will be awarded for each of the categories in the amounts of US $50 (students), $100 (college age), and $250 (adult).

Each poem submitted for the competition must be accompanied by the author's full name, age, home address/telephone number, school name, and sponsoring teacher's telephone number.  Those in the college age category need not include a sponsoring teacher. Those in the adult category need not include school information.