Short Stories Wanted for National Writing Contest This Fall

The Wichita Public Library (WPL) and the Public Library Association (PLA) are seeking short stories for a National Writing Contest taking place this fall. Writers of all levels of experience are encouraged to enter.

The contest is part of the Fostering Creative Community Connections project, which promotes reading and literary joy, community engagement, library programs and services, and creative expression from diverse writers. Last year, WPL and three other libraries were selected to participate in this project, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and managed by the PLAwith support from French publisher Short Édition.

The theme of this year’s contest is courage, a universal topic and an attribute essential for the act of writing itself. Courage enables characters to confront their fears; persist; and overcome obstacles, both literal and abstract. Some acts of courage can be grand-scale and heroic, others quietly inspirational. No matter how noticeable, acts of courage defy expectations and show how we can do things we never imagined ourselves capable of before.

A qualified jury consisting of writers, librarians, and literary experts will select one eligible winner that will receive $1,000 in prize money, as well as two Honorable Mentions that will receive $500, and the chance to have their story distributed through Short Édition’s Short Story Dispensers. The Dispensers can be found nationwide in unexpected places like airports, train stations, shopping centers, and hospitals, and in Wichita at the Dole VA Medical Center, KU Pediatrics, and Reverie’s Douglas Ave. location.

The contest is now open for submissions at https://PLA.short-edition.com. Entries will be accepted through the online submission portal through Oct. 30, 2018.