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Night Worship Dark Writing Contest 2024
I’d never thought to oversee a poetry contest, so I’d like to thank Wingless Dreamer for this opportunity. It’s been an honor reading all these submissions for Night Worship, for everyone here has written lovely poems. After all, it is one thing to participate in these contests as a submitter. It is another to evaluate and curate submissions into a cohesive manuscript. Therefore, I’d like to share my congratulations to those whose poems made it into this edition, and to the winners in particular. You’ve showcased interesting interpretations of the theme, from the morbid to medical to something else that cannot be labelled. I cannot wait to see more of your works in future contests! - Morgana Faye
Night Worship: Let's Om Nama! the grand winners
Standing ovation for the grand winner of the Night Worship Dark Poetry Contest 2024 who is:
MADELINE MOELLER - USING ALL PARTS OF THE ANIMAL
Madeline Moeller is a student at Longwood University who studies English Literature with minors in Medieval Studies and French.
She is also a disabled model who advocates for disability representation.
Madeline hopes to pursue a graduate degree in Library and Information Science to become a public librarian.
Beat the drums. The first runner-up is:
MARISSA LAPORTE - I AM ROTTING FROM THE INSIDE
Marissa LaPorte is a resident of Michigan. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Grand Valley State University.
She uses her lived experiences as a queer, neurodivergent woman for inspiration. Marissa has also been published in 101 Words, Speculative 66, Sick Lit Magazine, The Drabble, The Flash Fiction Press, and more.
Blow the triumph trumpets for our second runner-up is:
KYLE ROMERO - IGORR
Bornok is an ESL and IELTS instructor based in the Philippines.
He has always been a creative soul, exploring especially the literary side of artistic expression in English even though it is his second language.
A big round of applause for our top finalists:
JASMINE ERICE-HARLING - BELLADONNA, BELLADONNA
Jasmine Erice-Harling is a poet who loves to explore Life, Death, Nature, and the Uncanny in-between.
With favourite writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King and Mary Shelley, the gothic form has cemented a deep, dark place in her heart for as long as she could pick up a pen and write.
ALEX EAGLETON - MEETINGS WITH DEATH
Alex Eagleton is a queer author and poet writing on Ngunnawal and Ngambri land. Her debut collection "To Hang the Masks Upon the Wall" was released in 2023, with a second collection released later that year.
When not juggling too many projects at once, Alex can be found reading, studying, or playing TTRPGs.
All whilst drinking too much coffee.
ISABELLA GEORGE - I AM THE MADNESS MURDERING YOU
Isabella George is an aspiring author and student from Illinois with a passion for writing dark fiction and poetry. Her work has garnered regional and national recognition in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
As a current Girls Write Now mentee and publishing intern, Isabella continues to hone her craft. She is actively working on several writing projects, including a YA fantasy novel she eagerly anticipates sharing with the world.
When not immersed in her writing, Isabella can be found reading voraciously, listening to music, or contemplating life's mysteries.
CHRISTIAN HOLT - GOOD MOURNING
Christian Holt is a recent English master's graduate from the University of Kansas. His focus was in Literature and Literary Theory.
While applying academic analysis to the works of authors in his field of study (contemporary Latinx literature), Christian never lost sight of his passion for writing poetry.
While preparing to be a full-time lecturer, he is making time to get his work back out into the world.
GIOANNA ROMANO - 2 A.M.
Gioanna Romano has been writing poetry since she was a teenager and finally decided to get her work out into the world! She did some freelance work for a Philadelphia magazine, Broad Street Review, and has written two articles for them. Her most recent work is an article from Loco Mag, a Philly lifestyle magazine. She recently started an Instagram page for her poetry; you can find her @gmrpoetry. She lives with her fiancé (they are getting married later this year) and they have two of the best cats ever! Lily is a diluted calico and an absolute princess (in the best way possible). Binx is their crazy, golden eyed, black cat who has turned their lives upside down (again, in the best way possible). Gioanna turned 29 years old in April, and starting to have an existential crisis about turning 30.
ERVIN BROWN - TETHERED
Ervin Brown is originally from New York. His prose and poetry have appeared in Willows
Wept Review, The Closed Eye Open, Beyond Words Literary Magazine, and Wild Roof
Journal, among others. He has an MFA in Writing from the University of New Hampshire.
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