Poem Village is an annual, village-wide beautification project that gives writers of all ages and experience levels the chance to publish their work and reach audiences of passersby, visitors and North Country locals.

Since 2016, ACW has invited writers of all ages, experience levels and locations within the North Country to send poems to be published and installed in windows in Saranac Lake during National Poetry Month. In 2026, copies of each poem we publish will also appear in shop windows in St. Lawrence County in collaboration with St. Lawrence County Arts Council, and in Malone in collaboration with Downtown Artists Cellar.

Guidelines for submitting:

¯ Poems must be under 25 lines or less than 300 words, whichever comes first.

Poems are displayed in a window at the Adirondack Center for Writing on Broadway in Saranac Lake. (Photo provided)

¯ Poems must be the original work of the person submitting.

¯ Poets must reside at least part-time in the North Country.

ACW accepts all submissions so long as they follow the above criteria and they do not express any hateful views or content that could be harmful to the general public.

“We encourage anyone to send us a poem. This program is about community and engagement, all poems are accepted as long as they adhere to the submission guidelines, you don’t need to identify as a poet to submit,” ACW Executive Director Nathalie Thill said in a press release. “If you’re looking for inspiration, ACW provides weekly writing prompts to inspire anyone to try writing creatively; those prompts can be found in ACW’s weekly e-newsletter or on the website at adirondackcenterforwriting.org/for-writers.”

More information can be found at adirondackcenterforwriting.org/poemvillage and poem submissions can be made at adirondackcenterforwriting.submittable.com/submit/284828/poemvillage-2026.