Christian Theological Seminary and Indiana Writers Center launch poetry prize for the installation, "How to Love a City." CTS and IWC partner to award the prize in celebration of the power of poetry to illuminate wisdom, elicit wonder, and discover meaning. Recognizing the poet's role as healer, activist, and sage, "How to Love a City" is a juried poetry competition open to published and non-published poets.

Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) will celebrate and install its seventh president on September 19, 2021. With his appointment, Mellott became one of very few openly gay seminary presidents in the country. The installation service will celebrate Mellott's tenure as CTS' seventh president and announce a new phase in the seminary's rich history. Under his leadership, CTS aims to embrace the city of Indianapolis in new and exciting ways. CTS celebrates the appointment of the new president with the poetry prize and installation based on the theme "How to Love a City."

Three cash prizes of $500, $250 and $150 will be awarded. The first-place poem will publish in the winter 2021 edition of CTS's academic journal, Encounter: A Journal of Theological Scholarship, and will be read at the installation of Dr. David M. Mellott, president of Christian Theological Seminary, on September 19. The theme of the presidential installation is "How to Love a City" and the event will usher in a new chapter in the Seminary's 150+ year history.

The submission period is July 1 - August 1, 2021. To be eligible poets must reside in Indiana and have a strong connection to Indianapolis or central Indiana.

Read the full guidelines of the poetry prize launched by Christian Theological Seminary with Indiana Writers Center and find out how to submit your work in the Poetry Prize Submission Call "How to Love a City."

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