On Friday, the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities assembled at the Folger Shakespeare Library to recognize young and emerging talent in the field of literature. Presented in partnership with the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, the Larry Neal Writers’ Awards program is a competition open to writers of all ages in the District.

“If you’re a writer who lives in Washington, you should throw your hat in the ring for the Larry Neal Writers’ Awards. It’s not just a matter of a great opportunity,” says Sandra Beasley, a poet who was honored at the event. “It’s about affiliating with DC’s literary traditions.”

Named for the iconic Black Arts Movement poet Larry Neal, the award celebrates tradition. As the executive director of the Commission on the Arts and Humanities between 1976 and 1979, Neal served as a humanities chair at Howard University. In both these roles, he advocated for a strong literary identity for the District.

The award aims to preserve the continuity of that literary identity. Beyond the honor itself, it does so by giving writers a real incentive to ply their craft.

“As poets, we never expect our work to make money. That the DCCAH awards come with substantive honoraria is unique–and, frankly, inspiring,” Beasley explains. “It’s nice to hear, just on occasion, that your work has that additional dimension of value.”

The first-place award winners for youth, teen, and adult writing categories are named below. As a special bonus, DCist asked all three adult nominees for poetry for examples of their work. Those poems follow below.