"It was a joy to read the entries for the Dorothy Shoemaker Poetry Contest.  I kept thinking of Dorothy, someone I never knew, but whose legacy I stand up for.  Slowly I realized I was calling her by her first name. As I read, I'd think, I'll bet Dorothy would love these entries.  She must have understood how deeply creativity matters in everyone's life.  A simple act of the imagination, with some inspired language, creates a wellspring in the writer's day, and a pool of wonder for the reader.  Thank you, Dorothy, I'd say to myself.  Thank you for understanding that libraries foster creativity, and that poetry is necessary for our everyday lives.  It was a privilege to judge these two poetry contests, and to find so many worthy candidates that I listed honourable mention after honourable mention.  What a wealth of talent I found in Kitchener."

--Molly Peacock, Poetry Judge, 2021 Dorothy Shoemaker Awards

Kitchener Public Library, with support from the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation, is pleased to present the winners of the 2021 Dorothy Shoemaker Poetry Contest.

Click the link below to view the prize winners, and enjoy their poetry!

2021 Dorothy Shoemaker Poetry Contest Winners (pdf)

Kitchener Public Library thanks the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation for their ongoing financial support of this long-running contest.