Poet
Publications & Prizes
2019-2020 - Katherine Gotthardt has been a Prince William County, Virginia Poet Laureate nominee and was the winner of Inside NoVa’s 2019 and 2020 Best of Prince William award in the category of author. Her poetry and prose book Get Happy, Dammit: Staying Inspired and Motivated in an Often-Unhappy World received a Silver Award from the Nonfiction Authors Association. Gotthardt's children’s book, A Crane Named Steve, hit number one in its category on Amazon in 2019. She then took first place in the free verse category of Loudoun County Library Foundation’s 2020 Rhyme On poetry contest for her piece "Discussion Topic." The Prince William Arts Council and Poet Laureate Circle awarded her the 2020 Outstanding Poetry Project Award for her leadership in Write by the Rails' Poems Around Town poetry installation.
2021 - Gotthardt earned second place for "Aftermath" in a Poetry Society of Virginia national contest and the regional Seefeldt Award for Arts Excellence in the category of Individual Artist. She won first place in the Virginia Writers Club statewide Golden Nib contest in the poetry category for her poem "Kayak." Gotthardt was recognized as a PW Perspective 2021 DMV Best Business award winner in the category of author.
2023 - In April, Gotthardt's poem “Now Entering Manassas” was the winner of Manassas, Virginia's adult “time capsule” poetry contest. Gotthardt read her poem at the 150th anniversary celebration, the translated version by Jorge de Villasante was read in Spanish by Bianca Menendez, her poem was published in Neighbors of Manassas magazine, and it was included in the city’s time capsule. In November, her poem "Firefly" won Honorable Mention in the 2023 international poetry competition sponsored by Valiant Scribe.
2024 - Gotthard't collection of micropoems, We All Might Be Witches, was nominated for a Library of Virginia Literary Award and a BookFest Poetry Award. We All Might Be Witches received a first-place 2024 BookFest award in the modern poetry category.