Qin Sun Stubis' 'The Forever Life of Edgar Allan Poe' Advances to Finals in the 2025 Saturday 'Visiter' Awards

Prestigious awards recognize new generation of artists continuing Poe’s legacy

BALTIMORE, MD, UNITED STATES, August 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Following two rounds of scoring by a special panel of judges examining works from across the globe, Maryland writer Qin Sun Stubis’ poem, “The Forever Life of Edgar Allan Poe,” has advanced to the finals and become an official nominee for the prestigious Saturday “Visiter” Awards. The awards, presented by Poe Baltimore, are named after a publication whose writing prize helped launch Poe’s career, and are designed to recognize a new generation of artists continuing Poe’s legacy in the arts and literature. The final 2025 winners will be revealed on October 4 at the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards in Baltimore.

Qin Sun Stubis’ poem is both a tribute and epilogue for Poe’s life, death, and continuing power to shape the imagination of the literary world nearly two centuries after his mysterious demise. Ms. Stubis says it was inspired by a series of personal experiences, some of them downright eerie, that took place over the course of 40 years:

“I first discovered ‘The Raven’ when I was growing up in China inside a dusty volume of poetry on a shelf of books that had been banned and forbidden to the public for 30 years. Poe’s masterpiece made a deep impression on me and when no one was around, I secretly copied out his poem by hand and took it home to read over and over in my bed at night.

“Decades later, after graduating with a degree in English Literature and emigrating to the United States, I visited London. While walking on the grounds of the Tower of London, one of its famous ravens approached me, plucked a quill out of its own body and presented it to me. I took this as an omen and began a career as a writer, becoming, like Poe, a newspaper columnist, poet, and author of books and short stories.

“Over the years, I became fascinated by the stories of Poe’s life, odd death, and the mysterious 'Poe Toaster,' who left roses and cognac on his grave each year without ever being identified, so when I moved from New York to Maryland, I just had to visit Poe’s house in Baltimore. At that time, there was an abandoned field across from the home, and when I stepped out of the car, an eerie thing happened: Dozens, no, hundreds of giant black birds gathered around me, flapping their wings and hoarsely croaking at me, as if to convey some urgent message. I was thrilled and terrified, wondering what they were trying to say and if all these strange occurrences were related.

“All of these experiences inspired me to create a tribute and epilogue for my idol, which I read aloud at his gravesite for his birthday. I am deeply honored by the judges’ decision to advance this work to the finals and hope that it may not only intrigue those lovers of Poe who do not know the full story of his fascinating life but stir new readers to become forever fans of this old master.”

You can find the full list of finalists for the Saturday “Visiter” Awards here: https://poefestinternational.com/saturday-visiter-awards/f/2025-saturday-visiter-awards-official-nominees?fbclid=IwY2xjawL4hXlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkFOUoyoKowrp83sQtwlaoLxcLjsWFzKgC37xVG9ejulzusZ1PlUo-myCAWL_aem_jQQT-WOlNtH6Ki1AUB-GSw

About the Author

Qin Sun Stubis is a newspaper columnist, poet, short story writer, and author of the award-winning historical saga, “Once Our Lives,” the remarkable true story of four generations of Chinese women who struggled to survive war, revolution, and the eerie power of an ancient superstition. Born in the squalor of a Shanghai shantytown, Qin overcame poverty, starvation, and the political persecution of her family to become a successful writer with over 200 published works. You can learn more about her and her work at www.QinSunStubis.com .

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