The Soul-Making Keats Literary Competition was started in 1992 by Eileen Malone as a poetry contest to further enhance the outreach of The Source Center for Spiritual Development and Wholeness which was founded by Janice Farrell, Regional Coordinator for Spiritual Directors International. The competition ran continuously through 2022.
An invitation to join the National League of American Pen Women, Nob Hill, San Francisco Branch brought with it the opportunity to bring the contest under the Pen Women non-profit umbrella and, thusly provide free and open-to-the-public award readings at the Koret Auditorium in the San Francisco Main Public Library at Civic Center. Since then, annually, on a Sunday afternoon early the following year, all prize winners and honorable mentions from the previous year’s contest are invited to read from their works at the Koret Auditorium in the lower level of the San Francisco Main Library, Civic Center.
During the duration of the competition, we grew and expanded from one category to thirteen and received entries not only from across our nation, but globally. Most of our categories accepted previously published works. We did not publish the winning works and believed this was a positive condition of our competition. You could be named winner and additionally publish your work elsewhere, thus receiving twice the recognition and possibly more prize money.
A group effort of judges, sponsors, and volunteer staff, we extend appreciation to Bob Dekraker, Generous Patron; to Joan Jasper, San Francisco Main Library Curator of Exhibitions and Public Relations; to Janice Zents, our Reception Host, to Donna Gillespie, our Event Greeter; and to Lois Apperson for providing beautiful koto performances.
Founder/Director Eileen Malone (Broadmoor Village, CA) is the author of The Complete Guide to Writers Groups, Conferences and Workshops (Wiley), the award-winning collection Letters with Taloned Claws (Poet’s Corner Press), and poetry books: I Should Have Given Them Water (Ragged Sky Press) as well as It Could Be Me, Although Unsure (Kelsay Press). Her poetry and stories have been published in over 500 literary journals and anthologies, many of which have earned prizes and citations, i.e., four Pushcart nominations. Eileen taught K-12 with the California Poets in the Schools Program and creative writing workshops for the California Community College System. She hosted and co-produced an interview show for San Francisco Access Television which can now be viewed online. She is a voting member of the Northern California Book Reviewers, and as a mental health activist, sits on the Program Advisory Committee of Caminar. Eileen was also a past Poet Laureate for Broadmoor Village.
Author Websites
Our website will remain online throughout 2023. We will not be accepting entries. In early April we’ll post the video link to our 2022 Awards Reading honoring winners in all thirteen categories.