Each year, Poe Baltimore invites artists, writers, performers, and creators from around the world to carry forward the legacy of Edgar Allan Poe. The Saturday ‘Visiter Awards’ celebrate new work that adapts, reimagines, or is inspired by Poe’s life and writing — proof that his influence is very much alive in today’s creative culture.
The awards take their name from The Saturday Visiter (sic), the Baltimore periodical that awarded Poe a prize for “MS. Found in a Bottle,” helping launch his literary career while he was living at Amity Street (the very house that is today the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum.) The awards honor that same spirit of emerging talent and bold imagination. Winners are announced each October during the annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards in Baltimore.
Two Juried Awards Categories
Artists may submit work in two primary categories:
- Adaptation of E.A. Poe’s Life or Works – Works that directly adapt Poe’s life or writings, including biography and true interpretations of his poetry or prose.
- Original Works Inspired by E.A. Poe’s Life or Writing – Original works that draw creative influence from Poe’s themes, style, or legacy without being direct adaptations.
In addition, major historic Poe sites, including the Poe Museum (Richmond), the Poe Cottage (The Bronx, NY,) and the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum — may highlight exceptional entries connected to their regions.
NEW: The Public Acclaim Category
This year introduces something entirely new: Public Acclaim.
Unlike the submission-based awards, the Public Acclaim category recognizes a work that demonstrates Poe’s continued presence in popular culture through broad visibility or cultural impact, and it is the public who submits their favorite entry! Eligible works might include film, television, digital media, games, performances, or other creative projects that reference, adapt, or reinterpret Poe for contemporary audiences.
Here’s what makes this category different:
- The public can nominate a work
- There is no submission fee
- Judges curate the final slate of nominees, but it’s the public who determines the recipients through open voting
It is a non-competitive recognition, separate from the juried awards. Public Acclaim is a chance for fans to say: this is where we see Poe’s spirit thriving today.
