Lakes Region Student Named New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud Champion

CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud High School Championship has a new winner.

Emily Matos of Kingswood Regional High School in Wolfeboro was named the 2022 winner. She will represent the Granite State at the national finals. Matos was awarded a $200 prize with the school will receive $500 to purchase poetry books.

Annalise Locke of Hopkinton High School was also selected as an alternate champion. She received $100 while the school will get $200 for poetry books.

If Matos cannot attend nationals, Locke will compete in her place.

Since 2005, New Hampshire high school students have been competing in the event — choosing poems to memorize or recite curated by the Poetry Foundation. Competitions begin in classrooms and then, advance to inter-school champions. Those winners compete in the semi-finals to determine a state champion. The recitations are judged on physical presence, voice, and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, and accuracy.

For 2022, 26 high school champions recorded their recitations “live to tape,” supervised by the arts council, to ensure continuity. Judges viewed and scored the contestants and eight finalists advanced to two qualifying rounds on Friday. Four students with the highest scores recited a third poem and the winners were chosen.

Other students competing in the final round at the championship were Savannah Davis from the Derryfield School in Manchester and Lam Kellye Nguyen from Brewster Academy of Wolfeboro.

The state championship was recorded and will be available on the NH State Council on the Arts’ YouTube channel, which can be accessed from the Poetry Out Loud section of the Council’s website, nh.gov/nharts.

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