Registration for the 2025 Cotter Cup opens February 1
In 1913, renowned Louisville educator and poet Joseph S. Cotter, Sr. created a storytelling contest for kids at the Western Library that became known as the Cotter Cup. Today, the annual Cotter Cup Storytelling Contest—presented in partnership with the UofL Writing Center—focuses on storytelling through poetry and is open to all Louisville students, grades K-12.
Participation in the contest is free and prizes will be awarded to the winners in three age groups (elementary, middle school, & high school). To be eligible, students must register and submit their wholly original poem online no later than March 19 (one entry per student). Final poems should not exceed 1,000 words.
