January 19th holds a special place in the heart of Baltimore: it is the birthdate of Edgar Allan Poe. On January 19th, 2019, his 210th birthday, Poe Baltimore will open the Saturday Visiter Awards Call for Entries, a new honor recognizing Poe’s continuing legacy in the arts and literature around the world.

The prizes will honor art, performance and writing that adapt or are inspired by Poe’s life and works. Though he was not wealthy in his lifetime, Edgar Allan Poe was the first American writer to support himself entirely by his pen. The Saturday “Visiter” Awards are named after the prize a young Poe won in 1833 from the Saturday Visiter, a weekly periodical published in Baltimore. That prize launched the famed writer’s career.

The Saturday Visiter Awards will be presented in two categories: works that adapt Poe’s life or writing (including biography, or true adaptations of his poetry or prose), and original works that are inspired by Poe’s life or writing. The fee for submission is $25 per entry. Details, promotional video and FAQs can be found here: https://poefestinternational.com/saturday-visiter-awards.

The awards ceremony will take place in October 2019 at the second annual International Edgar Allen Poe Festival and Awards. Date and venue to be announced. Winners will receive a prize medal and a “Saturday Visiter Award Winner” designation for their work.

Poe Baltimore is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization created to fund, maintain and interpret The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, and to celebrate the legacy of one of Baltimore’s most famous residents. The organization is dedicated to maintaining the museum as a vibrant experience for the thousands of visitors who come from around the world each year, and as part of a broader mission of city-wide events and educational opportunities celebrating Poe’s legacy in Baltimore and beyond.