Winners Of 3rd Annual Bliss Morehead Poetry Grant Announced

SHELTER ISLAND., NY — The winners of a contest honoring a beloved Shelter Island poet have been announced.

According to the Shelter Island Library, the Bliss Morehead Grant Committee has shared the winners of the 3rd Annual Bliss Morehead Poetry Grant competition. The theme for 2024 was "Hope and Grace".

Taking first place is Emily O’Reilly of Montauk, for her poem "Legacy," the library said. O’Reilly will be awarded the Bliss Morehead Grant of $1,000 on Friday, April 26, during the Shelter Island Public Library's Poetry Project program.

Honorable mentions go to: "Five Days Old," by Edward Brennan of Shelter Island; "Ode to a Single-Scull Boat," by Ella Carriero of Remsenburg; and "Pentimento," by Bethany Moore of Shelter Island.

The Bliss Morehead Poetry Grant competition was founded in 2022 by Mike Zisser to honor Bliss Morehead, a Shelter Island poet and the creator of the annual Shelter Island Poetry Project program.

Aspiring poets from the East End are encouraged to submit their original, unpublished poems on a chosen theme. This year's competition was judged by Irene Cornell, Charity Robey and Virginia Walker.