Poets from across Southeastern Minnesota have been selected to have their work professionally printed in a poetry anthology.

Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (SELCO) hosts two poetry competitions, one for adults and one for young writers. Poets ranged in age from 14 to 93 years old according to SELCO Regional Librarian Reagen Thalacker.

SELCO and all member libraries invited residents who live in the eleven-county SELCO region to submit original poetry to be considered for the 2015 “Poetic Strokes” and “Word Flow” regional anthology. Entries were submitted in late fall 2014. After the initial deadline, two panels of judges, made up of published poets, literary scholars and educators, were convened for each poetry section.

The panels reviewed all entries through a blind evaluation process in each competition and helped to determine the final selections for the anthology.

Austin had two poets make the cut — Rich Campbell and John Haymond.

“Poetic Strokes,” the regional competition for adults ages 19 and up, allows poets to submit a maximum of two poems. “Word Flow” is in its third year as the regional competition for youth poets ages 14 to 18 and limits poets to a single submission.

A total of 286 poems from 219 unique poets representing 40 communities from all 11 counties in the SELCO region were entered. Of those, 55 poems were selected.

Copies of the anthology will be distributed in late March, just ahead of National Poetry Month in April. Copies of this anthology plus all previous volumes can be found at your local library.

A Poetry Bash will be held as a capstone piece to this project on Tuesday, April 28 at the Rochester Civic Theatre. More information will be released at a later date.

Contributing poets

Poetic Strokes

Rich Campbell, Austin; John Haymond, Austin; John Chernga, Winona; Mark Metzler, Winona; Christiran Michener, Winona; Marcia Ratliff, Winona; Richard DeRemee, Rochester; Mary Louc Devlin, Rochester; Sean Harrison Millard, Rochester; James Shearin, Rochester; Chris Stout, Rochester; Justin Watkins, Rochester; Toni Easterson, Northfield; Scott Forsgren, Northfield; D.E. Green Northfield; James Holden, Northfield; Laura Meyers, Northfield; Anna Priore, Northfield; Larry Gavin, Faribault; Audrey Kletscher Helbling, Faribault; Mary Steil, Faribault; Jefffrey Jackson, Owatonna; Evelyn Strangksy, Owatonna; Brenda Pohlman, Caledonia.

Word Flow

Andrew Ayers, Dennison; Tessa Barnes, Cannon Falls; Matthew Katterjohn, Cannon Falls; Garett Klavon, Cannon Falls; Isabella O’Reilly, Cannon Falls; Charlie Otterness, Cannon Falls; Grace Palmitessa, Cannon Falls; Erlyn Strelow, Cannon Falls; John Twedt, Cannon Falls; Emily M. Bonner, Winona; Sean Wittenberg, Winona; Josef Chlachula III, Rochester; Dylan DeRuiter, Rochester; Madison Kelly, Rochester; Jackson Maki, Rochester; Leanna Haag, Lewiston; Kayce Keller, Owatonna; James Kroll, Oronoco; Rose Kruse, Wabasha; Haley Martin, Frontenac; Tommy Miller, St. Charles; Samantha Pietrzak, St. Charles; Jaclyn Storey, St. Charles; McKennah Spiten, Minnesota City.