It’s final! Rainshadow Poetry Competition judges have completed their blind-jury process of poems submitted for the 2016 competition.

Judy Duncan and Ruth Marcus, co-founders of the event sponsored by Olympic Theatre Arts, report 55 poems were selected for the event’s anthology.

Judges included Sally Albiso (poet, Port Angeles), Danielle Gayman (librarian, Port Angeles), and Peter Quinn (writer, Port Townsend). The judges chose poets of all ages from Jefferson and Clallam counties.

In alphabetical order the winning poets are: John Victor Anderson, Craig William Andrews, Joy Beaver, Michelle De Beixedon, Cheryle Hoskins Bigelow, Roger Briggs, Gary E. Bullock, Penny Burdick, Howard Chadwick, Gigi Christensen, Katie Cobb, Nyla Dartt, Risa Denenberg, Susie Dong, Judy A. Drechsler, Gail E. Elliott, Jane Evans, Paul Fiorini, Robert Fletcher, Alitya Florence, Ruth Geiger, Sharon R. Gilmour, Alice Hastings, Sierra Hemmig, Gina Hietpas, David T. Hoopes, Janet Kalin, Mary Jill Klay, Caitlin Knapple, Robert Komishane, Paula Lalish, Ingrid Lehrer, Sara Ybarra Lopez, John Merton Marrs, Charlotte McElroy, Amy McFarland, Trudy McFarland, Eva McGinnis, Gary C. McMannon, Terry Moore, Keith Moul, Helena Panyeko, Terri Paquin, Carolyn Parker, Tony Porto, Teya Priest Johnston, Linda M. Robertson, Judy Rosen, Georgina Stockman-Clark, George Stratton, Mia Torres, Stephen Delos Treacy, Marcia Van Clev and Ella Ventura.

Sequim artist Ryoko Toyama, a member of the Blue Whole Gallery, saw her painting, “Harvest Time I,” featured on the cover of the 2016 Rainshadow Poetry Anthology.

A reading by the winning poets will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 1, on the Main Stage at Olympic Theatre Arts, 414 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Come celebrate the close of National Poetry Month (April) by honoring poets from many communities on the Olympic Peninsula.

Copies of the anthology will be available for purchase at the reading event or you may contact rainshadowpoets2016@gmail.com for advance copies, $10 each.