Saturday Visiter Awards International Edgar Allan Poe Festival

Call for Entries Opens January 19, 2025

The Saturday “Visiter” Awards are named for the local periodical that helped launch Edgar Allan Poe’s illustrious literary career by awarding his short story, “MS Found in a Bottle” a prize. In recognition of a new generation that is continuing his legacy, we created an annual award that celebrates up-and-coming artists of all genres across the globe who derive inspiration from Poe.

The awards are presented every October at the annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards in Baltimore, Maryland. Additionally, important “Poe Places” such as the Poe Museum, Poe Cottage, and Poe House will highlight exceptional entries specific to their region.

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Submission Categories

Adaptations

Any artistic work that presents the historical facts of Poe’s life and likeness; or faithful adaptation or performance of Poe’s writing. For example: a stage performance, film or audio recordings, musicals, portraiture, artist renderings, historical biography, etc. This category does not include academic or critical interpretations of Poe’s work.

Original Works

Any original work that draws direct inspiration from Poe’s life or writing. For example: representations of Poe in a film, novel, or play; use of his written works for a sequel, prequel, or basis for an original story, a dramatic retelling or altered narrative of Poe’s life, etc. Every entry must clearly state and illustrate how Poe inspired the work.

Young Saturday Visiter Awards

Presented by Poe Baltimore and the Baltimore National Heritage Area, the Young Saturday Visiter Awards recognizes high school students in Maryland who create artistic works inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. Works for submission include media, art, performance, and writing.

Experience the magic and the macabre of Poe Fest International!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Saturday Visiter?

The Saturday Visiter was the name—and spelling—of a local periodical that held a contest for poetry and short stories. Poe won the award for his short story “MS Found in a Bottle” (which he wrote at Poe House.)

Who Can Submit?

Entries may be submitted by an artist, producer, publisher, author or any member of the creative team. An ensemble member may submit, but the rights holder must be available to confirm permission to enter.

Publishers and production companies are invited to submit entries in either category. Self-published or independently-produced works are eligible. In each case, the rights holder must be identified and permission granted by them to be considered for an award.

How Recent Must The Work Be?

Works of any medium and genre released, printed, distributed or first performed between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024. Digital or web-based entries may also qualify but must have been first published/posted in this period. This three-year window will continue in subsequent years, thereby phasing out eligibility as time passes. A work may be submitted again in subsequent years if it still qualifies as eligible.

Re-printed or re-released materials are discouraged unless the work has been materially changed, updated or edited in a significant way; in such cases, the panel judges will determine eligibility and their decision is final. A work may be nominated in more than one year, but a winning entry may not be entered again.

Works published or created outside the U.S. are eligible. At this time the work must be in English or provide English-language subtitles.

Can I Submit From Outside The United States?

Works published or created outside the U.S. are eligible. However, at this time, the work must be in English or provide English-language subtitles.

Can I Enter Multiple Submissions?

Entrants are limited to one submission per category. Multiple entries in a single category are not permitted; please select your best work and save additional entries for subsequent years.

Is There A Fee To Enter?

Entries are submitted and processed digitally via the Saturday Visiter Awards Call for Entries portal which opens January 19, 2025. The non-refundable fee to enter a work for consideration is $25 (USD). Every work will require separate entry fee, even if the same creator/creative team is entering a second piece in the alternate category.

How Will The Work Be Judged?

An independent panel of judges will carefully consider all entries and choose a final ballot of up to ten (10) nominees in each category. The primary consideration for judging submissions will be overall quality. Popularity or sales will not determine selection of nominees.

To best support your application, please do the following:

Provide link to a format easily accessible to the judges (i.e. PDF, JPG, PNG) and that does not require specialized software to play or open. Do not send URLs that require a password. If link is inactive, the administrator will contact the applicant one time to fix it. If inactivity continues, entry will be disqualified due to lack of access.
Provide correct contact information.
Indicate whether there is any use of AI — there is no penalty, but we do require these process details as part of your description.

Entrants may later be asked to provide additional information/materials at the judges’ discretion.

What Does It Mean To Be A Nominee?

An independent panel of judges will carefully consider all entries and choose a final ballot of up to ten (10) nominees in each category.

Once chosen, nominees are:

Awarded a “nominee” designation to adorn their work
Listed in the Poe Fest International program
Invited to attend and/or perform during Poe Fest International (travel not provided)
Provided free vendor table at the festival to present their works and meet attendees within a special booth for nominees on festival grounds
Provided one (1) ticket to the presentation ceremony; additional tickets at 50% discount.

Nominees will then be ranked by the judging panel and the top three (3) in each category selected for awards.

What Do Winners Get?

Winners will be awarded a prize medal and a “Saturday Visiter Award Winner” designation to adorn their work for all time. Winners are also invited to attend the following year’s Poe Fest International and provided a free vendor table to present their winning work and meet attendees.

What Is The Timeline?

January 19: Call for entries opens
May 30: Deadline for entries
July 30: Nominees notified/announced
October: Poe Fest International

Meet Our 2024 Winners

Original Works Winners

Adaptations Winners

About Poe Baltimore

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.

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About Poe Baltimore

We are committed to protecting, preserving and celebrating the rich history of the city, the house, and the legacy of one of our most beloved denizens.