enter!

The National Poetry Series (NPS) and mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network,
are pleased to announce a first-of-its kind opportunity. In 2008, NPS will team up
with mtvU—the definitive college network for students at universities across the
country—as they begin an earnest promotion of poetry to the campus audience.
For the first time, one of NPS’ five annual titles will be designated as a booklength
manuscript written by a college student. The 2008 winning book chosen to
be published by HarperCollins also will be the recipient of The National Poetry
Series mtvU Prize. The winning student will have the opportunity to interview
the poet / judge representing HarperCollins and mtvU in 2008, Pulitzer Prizewinner
Yusef Komunyakaa, for an episode of the mtvU series “My Shot With….”
“All of us involved in the publication of poetry like to talk about ‘expanding the
audience for poetry,’ and ‘reaching the next generation,’” said Daniel Halpern,
Founder and Director of The National Poetry Series. “Mostly it’s been just that:
talking about it. This union between The National Poetry Series and mtvU
provides the chance to do both – by giving college students the opportunity to
publish a book with a large trade publisher, and offering their peers a volume of
poetry written by one of their own.”
“We know the Pulitzer Prize-winning poets of tomorrow are in our audience
today,” said Ross Martin, Head of Programming, mtvU, “and we’re extremely
proud to partner with Yusef Komunyakaa and the prestigious National Poetry
Series to help catapult one outstanding young poet from the classroom to
national acclaim.”
Established in 1978, The National Poetry Series is a literary awards program
dedicated to bringing meaningful poetry to publication. To date, 140 books have
been sponsored by NPS, in collaboration with the accomplished poets who have
served as judges and a distinguished roster of trade, university, and small press
publishers.
mtvU is MTV’s on-air, online and on campus college network – for and by college
students. The network is broadcast to nearly 7.5 million students on more than
750 campuses. As a national platform for the best student-created work, mtvU
offers students numerous opportunities to jump-start their careers and places a
focus on issues they care about most – including stopping the genocide in
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Darfur, great emerging music, political and social activism, landing their dream
job and more. mtvU is dedicated to promoting the arts on campus and amplifying
college students’ cultural impact, maintaining partnerships with the Fulbright
program, New York Times, National Academy of Arts and Sciences, Tribeca Film
Festival and many others as part of this effort.
Submissions for The National Poetry Series mtvU Prize will be accepted
beginning later this winter as outlined in the NPS guidelines posted on
www.nationalpoetryseries.org. The winning manuscript will be published in 2008
as part of the NPS’ 30th anniversary series.
For more information and guidelines, please contact
Stephanie Stio, The National Poetry Series,
57 Mountain Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08540
Phone: 609.430.0999 Fax: 609.430.9933
For additional information about mtvU, please contact
Jason Rzepka, head of communications, mtvU
Phone: 212.654.7198 E-mail: jason.rzepka@mtvstaff.com