Poet Mark Halliday, a professor at Ohio University, will judge this year's Wednesday Club poetry contest.

The annual contest -- an incredible 86 years old -- is open to writers 18 and up who live within 50 miles of St. Louis.

The contest awards $500 to the winner, $300 for second prize and $150 for third. Anyone who has one twice in the past five years is ineligible for cash awards but may receive an honor citation.

Poetry submissions must be original, unpublished work that has not received any other awards.

The deadline for entries is Feb. 1. For rules on how to submit, go to wednesdayclubstlouis.org. The Wednesday Club was founded in 1890 by women who wanted to contribute to the community and continue their intellectual growth, says the group's website.