NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION BRANCH (NCR)
Weekly Notices for the week of July 23, 2012
–11 Items: 3 NEW EVENTS & 4 NEW CONTESTS (2 EACH IN SEPT. AND OCTOBER)
####Please send all submission and event notices to Carol Stephen at cstephen0@gmail.com and ****Remember to check out writing-related services offered by our members at our CAA-NCR website http://www.canauthors-ottawa.org/hire-a-member.shtml
BRANCH NEWS
ITEM 1:CAA-NCR SUMMER SOCIAL – A DAY IN THE COUNTRY 
DATE: Sunday, August 19, 2012 3:00 P.M. until the bonfire dies
LOCATION: Sharyn’s country home
TYPE: pot luck
Summer sun and cooling breezes – our Summer Social in Sharyn’s garden.
Mark the above date on your calendar before it fills up with other summer events. Come meet your fellow writers in a casual, congenial and celebratory atmosphere. We invite you to:
- Read from your work, published or otherwise;
- Bring your books and give folks an opportunity to purchase a copy;
- Network, meet old friends and discover new ones;
- Enjoy the diverse culinary creations contributed by your fellow writers.
All are invited – CAA Members, CAA Student Members, and Non-members! Bring your spouse; bring your partner; bring your friends; bring your writing offspring 18 years or older. Drop Sharyn a note at sharyn_40@yahoo.com, or give her a call at (613) 821-2485 and let her know you’re coming, and what exciting contribution of an edible nature you will be bringing with you. Remember to bring a garden chair in the lucky event that it doesn’t rain.
WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS
ITEM 2: WORKSHOPS: WINTERGREEN STUDIOS, WESTPORT, ON
http://www.wintergreenstudios.com/
- Patrick Lane (August 23–26)
- Lawrence Hill (Sept. 14–17)
Enjoy writing, eating and swimming at our off-grid educational retreat facility.
Patrick Lane, Governor General’s Award winner, will conduct a four-day poetry retreat for attendees to create new work. Fresh approaches to the poem will be explored. Patrick considers holding writing retreats an important aspect of his life’s work. For more information and to register: http://www.wintergreenstudios.com/poetry-with-patrick-lane//
You are invited to spend a long weekend with Lawrence Hill (author of The Book of Negroes) taking part in a creative writing workshop for the novel, short story or non-fiction writing. For more information and to register: http://www.wintergreenstudios.com/put-personality-in-your-writing/
ITEM 3: SCREENWRITING CAMP 2012 – TAKE YOUR STORY IDEAS TO THE BIG SCREEN
DATES: August 13 to August 17, 2012
LOCATION: Algonquin College, Woodroffe Campus Cost: $595
This five-day hands-on workshop from August 13th to 17th 2012 at Algonquin College will help writers bring their ideas into the reality of a feature film screen story. Participants will also learn the career potential of screenwriters in television and new media – one of the fastest growing business sectors in Canada. The Director is Tom Shoebridge, founder of the Canadian Screen Training Centre and the Summer Institute of Film and Television, which for 30 yearsbrought world-class filmmakers such as Atom Egoyan, Sarah Polley, Norman Jewison, Paul Haggis, Denys Arcand, Anthony Minghella and others here to share their expertise with aspiring film and television creators.
In workshops led by seasoned industry professionals, participants will learn the fundamentals of story structure, scenes, sequences, acts, dialogue, and character and story arcs – the necessary elements of professional screen storytelling. Films will be analyzed, scripts dissected, and the writing of treatments and scripts encouraged. This will not be theory; this will offer practical professional insights into writing for the screen and pitching your story effectively.
For more information, please contact Lynn Tarzwell at tarzwel@algonquincollege.com.
Lynn Tarzwell, Coordinator, Scriptwriting Program, Office: N208b, (613)727-4723 ext. 7888
ITEM 4: PEI WOMEN WRITERS’ BOOTCAMP
DATE: September 14-16
LOCATION: Canoe Cove Christian Camp
This will be an amazing opportunity for women to come together and share the creative process of writing. your chance to grow and expand as a writer in a nurturing, creative environment. This is an opportunity for women to write in the quiet setting of Canoe Cove Christian Camp on PEI’s south shore.
We have extraordinary women facilitators leading the workshops. We have the very best PEI has to offer. Here’s the hit list in no particular order :
Yvette Doucette, Beth Janzen, Kathleen Hamiliton, Liza Oliver, Laurie Brinklow, Libbie Oughton, Susan Buchanan, Margie Carmicheal, Orysia Dawydiak, Margot Maddison-MacFadyen
There are large bunk rooms so you can bunk with your friends or go a little crazy, and bunk with people you have only just met. The camp is completely wheelchair accessible with an accessible bathroom and a roll-in shower. We will do our utmost to meet your needs. We have the use of a beautiful kitchen and you can expect great food. If you have dietary concerns, please let us know when you register. For more information, http://www.peiwomenwriters.com/index.html, or contact Susan Buchanan at eveningprimrose@xplornet.com
SUBMISSION CALLS AND OPPORTUNITIES
ITEM 5: BYWORDS.CA SUBMISSION CALL
DEADLINE: August 15 for the September issue
Bywords.ca considers previously unpublished poetry from emerging and established poets for our online monthly magazine. We consider work by current and former residents, students and workers of Ottawa. We also publish poems by contributors to our predecessor, the Bywords Monthly Magazine. FOR SUBMISSION INFORMATION VISIT www.bywords.ca and click on Guidelines. Amanda Earl, Managing Editor
ITEM 6: 7TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER BOOK AWARDS ARE NOW OPEN NEW!
Jenkins Group and IndependentPublisher.com are proud to announce the opening of the 17th annual Independent Publisher Book Awards. We conduct the “IPPYs” to honor the year’s best independently published titles, and to give them the recognition and credibility they deserve. Books published in English with 2012 or 2013 copyrights or release dates between Aug 1, 2011 and March 15, 2013 are eligible.
Click here to visit the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards webpage:
http://www.independentpublisher.com/ipland/IPAwards.php
The Independent Publisher Book Awards were conceived in 1996 as a broad-based, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing community. The awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university, and self-published titles published each year. Since the inaugural contest in 1996, over 5,000 books have received IPPY Awards, and all the recognition, credibility, and increased sales that a book award can bring. Entry fees range from the early-bird fee of $75 to $95 when you enter closer to our final deadline of March 16th, 2013. Regional and E-Book category entries are just $55 when added to a national category entry. Here’s the link to download the 2013 IPPY Awards guidelines and entry form in PDF format: http://www.independentpublisher.com/ipland/IPPY_2013_Early_Application1.pdf
ITEM 7: SUBMISSION CALLS OF INTEREST AT PLACES FOR WRITERS
There are a number of interesting calls with deadlines coming up shortly. For more information visit: http://www.placesforwriters.com/calls/
ITEM 8: SUBMISSION CALL FOR THE GATE IN THE FENCE
The Gate in the Fence is a summer project by Ottawa writer/editor Christopher Carroll. It will be an anthology of short fiction (500-1200 words) created to help spread awareness of and information about the mental health crisis in Canada currently. He will be approaching every author he knows and is accepting submissions from anyone who can string together a few words. Topic: Mental Health More info available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheGateInTheFence
IN THE INTEREST OF WRITERS HELPING WRITERS
ITEM 9: JULY 23 to JULY 29 EVENTS AT COLLECTED WORKS NEW!
1242 WELLINGTON STREET WEST AT HOLLAND Check Facebook for full details or visit http://www.collected-works.com/pages/events.htm
Thursday, July 26 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Meet Mike Martin, author of The Walker on the Cape”
A dead man’s body is discovered along a well known but seldom-used pathway in the hills above Grand Bank, Newfoundland. At first a heart attack or stroke is suspected but soon it is discovered that a main cause of this man’s death was arsenic poisoning. The case of discovering how this could happen in such a quiet small community is assigned to Sergeant Winston Windflower of the RCMP along with his trusted side-kick Eddie Tizzard. Together they try to discover who might have been responsible for such a deed and along the way are stymied by the many small secrets of a close-knit community and the opposition of the powerful forces that seem to operate under the surface.
Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine. The Walker on the Cape is his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Winston Windflower mystery series.
Saturday, July 28 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Shahbaz Ehsani presents Mirrors and Songs: A Selection of Poetry of Afghan Women
Join us for a special reading from a stunning collection of poetry from women trapped within the chaos of the Afghanistan conflict. “Beyond doubt, Mirrors and Songs is an excellent reflection of Afghan women’s sentiments born out of a protracted and atrocious conflict – all translated beautifully by Shahbaz – transmitting the feelings of women, who usually are the worst sufferers in conflict. Without putting himself in the shoes of the victims, such soul-touching translation wouldn’t be possible.” — Imtiaz Gul, Author, Al Qaeda Connection
ITEM 10: SPOKEN WORD AT PRESSED PRESENTS: FUNDRAISER FOR CAPITAL SLAM, URBAN LEGENDS AND THE LANARK COUNTY LIVE POETS SOCIETY (LIPS) TEAMS NEW!
DATE: Thursday, July 26, 2012 7:00 p.m.
LOCATION: PRESSED CAFE 750 Gladstone, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6X5
$10 or pay what you can, donations accepted.
Come to a fundraiser for Capital Slam, Urban Legends and the Lanark County Live Poets Society (LiPS) teams who are trying to get to the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Saskatoon.
Plus a going away party for Danielle K.L. Gregoire. Danielle K.L. Gregoire fell into the Ottawa spoken word scene hard, in 2004 at the first Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. She helped to start Capital Slam, and the Lanark County Slam series. Danielle is moving to Seattle this coming August for a new adventure. She says: “ I love Ottawa, and Lanark County and the wonderful poets and poetic supporters who belong within. So how about we do something phenomenal. Help me throw one BIG last show. A cover show in which we perform each others work. A MASSIVE fundraiser in which the funds are split three ways between Capital Slam, Urban Legends, and LiPS. This will always be my heart home. The place where my children were born. I will carry you all with me as I undertake the next leg of my journey. I am so incredibly lucky to have been here at all. To have imbibed of the Ottawater, and basked in the Lanark County glow.“
The event will take place near the end of July. Find your favourite poem by someone else, bring it, perform it,(or memorize it if you feel the need) let us make this an epic, coming together show. A love-in. Invite anyone you think might want to be a part of it.
ITEM 11: WRITING CONTESTS COMING UP
Malahat Monostiches SUMMER-LONG CONTEST, AWARDS EVERY TWO WEEKS!
Tweet your pithiest 1-line, 140 character (or less) poems to @malahatreview
The battle of the monostiches begins on June 18 and closes on September 10. Four new books donated by Canadian publishers will be awarded to a semi-finalist every two weeks. On October 1, a special grand prize will be given to the best of the six bi-weekly winners.
Semi-finalists and the grand-prize winner will be tweeted, posted on our website, and announced on Facebook. Enter as many times as you like! Read full contest guidelines on our website. http://www.malahatreview.ca/announcements/twittermonostich.html
MONTHLY TWITTER WRITING CONTEST! DEADLINE: LAST DAY OF THE MONTH AT 11 AM
Scribendi.com is hosting a weekly writing contest that I think would be of interest to your audience. How it Works: The first day of every month at 11 AM, we will announce the topic. Entrants must write a 140-character-or-less tweet, mention @Scribendi_Inc, and summarize the topic. The contest closes the last day of the month at 11 AM.
Summarize This! promotes concise and precise writing skills in a fresh, fun way (http://www.scribendi.com/summarize_this). Prizes range from free editing to Scribendi.com swag.
JULY DEADLINES:
- Clem Battye Legacy Award Deadline: July 30, 2012 Fiction: Send a cover page listing author’s name, address, phone and email, along with a short story 5 pages (industry standards). Poetry: Poets enter 5 poems (one per page). You may enter as often as you like with appropriate fee. Penticton Writers And Publishers, 4011 Finnerty Road, Penticton BC V2A 8W2. Prize: $100 X 2 Entry Fee: $10 Details: http://www.penwriters.com/clem.html; 250-492-0629
- THIS MAGAZINE’S 16TH ANNUAL GREAT CANADIAN LITERARY HUNT. Entries should be submitted electronically to: hunt@this.org, or postmarked no later than July 31, 2012 and mailed to: THE GREAT CANADIAN LITERARY HUNT c/o This Magazine, 401 Richmond St. W., Suite 417, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3A8 http://this.org/contribute/great-canadian-literary-hunt/
- The Arborealls Prize for Poetry Deadline: July 31, 2012 Theme – The People’s Poetry Tradition. Milton Acorn’s poetry defines the People’s Poetry Tradition. There is no limit to the number of submissions per poet. Poems must be unpublished and not sent elsewhere. Poems not to exceed 36 lines and the stanza breaks count as lines. The Ontario Poetry Society, Attention: I.B. Iskov, #710 – 654 Spring Garden Avenue, Toronto ON M2N 6H9 Prize: $200; $150; $100; 3 x $50 HM + publication Entry Fee: $15/3 Details: http://www.theontariopoetrysociety.ca/
- THE DREAM QUEST ONE POETRY & WRITING CONTEST Postmark deadline: July 31, 2012. Write a poem or short story for a chance to win cash prizes. All works must be original. Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com for details and enter! All contest winners will be announced on August 31, 2012. Prizes: Writing Contest First Prize is $500. Second Prize: $250. Third Prize: $100. Poetry Contest First Prize is $250. Second Prize: $125. Third Prize: $50. Entry fees: $10 per short story. $5 per poem.
- SEÁN Ó FAOLÁIN INTERNATIONAL SHORT STORY COMPETITION (IRE) Deadline 31 July. The Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition is run by the Munster Literature Centre in Cork. It is a not-for-profit institution, (Irish Registered Charity No.12374), and all proceeds go to benefit writers and writing. Sponsor: Munster Literature Centre Contest Type: Prize for a single short story. Details: http://www.munsterlit.ie/SOF%20Page.html . The Munster Literature Centre, Frank O’Connor House, 84 Douglas Street, Cork City, +21 431 2955
- Inktears Flash Fiction Competition Deadline: July 31, 2012 Entry Fee: 1 entry £3.00, 2 entries £5.00, 3 entries £6.50, 4 entries £7.50 Prizes: £300, £50, 4 x £25 Guidelines: 500 words or less, any theme. Stories may have been previously published, providing the author still owns the copyright and there is no exclusivity with the prior publication, or unpublished. Details: http://www.inktears.com/Inktears/WritersNewWriters2012.html
- SHELDON CURRIE FICTION PRIZE DEADLINE JULY 31, 2012 Guidelines: Previously published works, works accepted for publication or simultaneous submissions are ineligible. No electronic submissions, please. Stories on any subject. Total entry not to exceed 20 pages. Entry Fee: Canada $25.00; the United States $30.00 (US funds); All others $40.00 (US funds) You may enter as often as you like; only your first entry in each category will be eligible for a subscription which will begin with the winter issue, 2013. Make cheques or money orders payable to The Antigonish Review. Mail submissions to: The Antigonish Review Contest, Box 5000, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2G 2W5. Entries will not be returned. Only winners will be notified by November 1, 2012. Full details here: http://www.antigonishreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=62http://www.antigonishreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=62
- EDEN MILLS WRITERS FESTIVAL LITERARY CONTEST DEADLINE JULY 31, 2012. Contest is open to new, aspiring, and modestly published writers age 16 or over. Writers may submit either a short story (max. 2500 words), poetry (max. 5 poems/5 pages) or one-act play. There is also a submission protocol to be asked to read at the Eden Mills Festival-see website for details. As the coordinators and addresses sometimes change between our press time, and their deadline please recheck the website closer to the due date. Eden Mills Writers Festival Literary Contest, c/o Susan Ratcliffe, 57-295 Water Street, Guelph ON NIG2X5. Deadline: June 30, 2012 Prizes: $100 + HM Entry Fee: $15 Details: http://edenmillswritersfestival.ca/EMWF/contests 519-822-8236
AUGUST DEADLINES:
- The Tenth Annual American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest is now open! The early deadline is August 1, and the final deadline is September 6. Submit Your Screenplay
- We look forward to reading your scripts! MORE INFO AT: http://www.zoetrope.com/contests/index.cgi
- ALICE MUNRO WRITERS & READERS FESTIVAL SHORT STORY CONTEST. Theme: Renewal. Length: 5000 words max. First prize: $500 (Adult) and $300 (Teen). Entry fee: $20 (Adult only). Deadline: August 1, 2012. Finalists will be notified by September 1, 2012. Winners names will be published on the website after the announcement at the Gala on September 29, 2012. http://alicemunrofestival.ca/?page_id=14
- THE SECOND ANNUAL GEIST ERASURE POETRY CONTEST DEADLINE AUG. 1, 2012. Get your erasers ready! Geist is pleased to announce the opening of the Second Annual Geist Erasure Poetry Contest. Writers are asked to create their own poetic masterpiece from an excerpt of How Should a Person Be?, a creative non-fiction novel by celebrated author Sheila Heti. There’s $1000 in prizes, plus publication! $20 entry fee includes an entire year of Geist. Visit www.geist.com/erasure for more information. Good luck and happy writing!
- THE 2012 RATTLE POETRY PRIZE POSTMARK DEADLINE: AUGUST 1 The annual Rattle Poetry Prize offers $5,000 for a single poem to be published in the winter issue of the magazine. Ten finalists will also receive $100 each and publication, and be eligible for the $1,000 Readers’ Choice Award, to be selected by subscriber and entrant vote. Additional poems from the entries are frequently offered publication as well. Entries are accepted by email or hard copy. For full guidelines, or to read the winning poems from previous years, visit www.rattle.com.
- Quebec Writers’ Federation Awards Deadline: August 1, 2012 QWF holds an annual juried competition for published books by Quebec authors in five categories: A. M. Klein Prize (Established 1992) (Poetry) $2,000 McAuslan First Book Award (Established 1999) $2,000 Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize (Fiction) (Established 1987) $2,000 Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-Fiction (Established 1987) $2.000 QWF Prix de traduction / Translation Prize (Established 2002) $2,000 Quebec Writers’ Federation, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Suite 3, Montreal QC H3Z 1X4. Prize: $2,000 Entry Fee: $20 Details: http://www.qwf.org ; 514-933-0878.
- The Malahat Review Constance Cooke Creative Nonfiction Prize Deadline: August 1, 2012. The entry must be between 2,000 and 3,000 words. No restrictions as to subject matter or approach apply. For example, the entry may be personal essay, memoir, cultural criticism, nature writing, or literary journalism. The winner and finalists will be announced on the Malahat web site, with the publication of the winning entry in The Malahat Review’s Winter issue, and in Malahat lite, the magazine’s quarterly e-newsletter, in December. The Malahat Review Constance Cooke Creative Nonfiction Prize University of Victoria, Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria BC V8W 2Y2. Prize: $1,000 Entry Fee: $35 Details: http://www.malahatreview.ca/contests/creative_non-fiction_prize/info.html 250-721-8524.
- WRITERS’ TRUST OF CANADA AWARDS : ROGERS WRITERS’ TRUST FICTION PRIZE * WRITERS’ TRUST HILARY WESTON NON-FICTION PRIZE Deadline: 08/01/12 depending on publication date. See guidelines at the link below. Sponsored by Writers’ Trust of Canada (The) Authors must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants. Books must have been published in Canada during the year in which the deadline falls. See guidelines for each award here: http://www.writerstrust.com/Awards.aspx
- THE MALAHAT REVIEW’S UVIC 50TH ANNIVERSARY WRITING CONTEST Deadline: August 15, 2012 Prizes (in each category): 1st: $300 2nd: $150 3rd: $100 Entry fee: $15 per entry (entry does not include a subscription to the magazine) Categories: poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and dramatic monologue Eligible entrants: UVic students, UVic alumni, and residents of the Victoria CRD. Full contest guidelines HERE: http://www.malahatreview.ca/contests/uvic_anniversary/anniversary_contest.html
- MEMOIRS, INK Personal essay contest with $1000 prize Deadline: August 15, 2012. http://memoirsink.com/writingcontestguidelines/ Memoirs Ink is looking for original, well-written personal essays, memoirs, or stories that are based on autobiographical experiences. First prize: US$1000; additional prizes available. Entry fee: US$15.
- Tickled by Thunder Writing Contest-Poetry Deadline: August 15, 2012 Theme, length and style of poetry entries is completely open. First and second place winners published. Subscribers of Tickled by Thunder enter three poems for free, but must pay $2 for each additional poem entered. Entries may be deemed by judges to merit publication within the Year’s Best Poetry, an annual collection published as a chapbook. Submit your manuscript using our Online Form. Tickled by Thunder, 14076 86A Avenue, Surrey BC V3W 0V9. Prize: $75 +publication Entry Fee: $5 Details: http://tickledbythunder.com/ 604-591-6095
- The Scotiabank Giller Prize Deadline: August 15, 2012 The Scotiabank Giller Prize, att: Elana Rabinovitch, 576 Davenport Road, Toronto ON M5R lK9. Prize: $50,000; $5,000 x 4 Entry Fee: None Details: http://www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca ; 416-934-0755.
- Tennessee Williams Poetry Contest Deadline: August 15, 2012 Entry Fee: $20 Prizes: $1000, a VIP All Access Pass ($500 value) for the 2013 New Orleans Literary Festival, and publication in Louisiana Cultural Vistasmagazine. Guidelines: Submit 2-4 original poems of any style or theme up to 400 lines. Open to writers who have not yet published a book of poetry. Details: http://www.tennesseewilliams.net/contests/poetry-contest
- SPEAKER’S BOOK AWARD Deadline: August 31, 2012 This award aims to bring awareness to books written by Ontarians covering historical, regional, cultural or parliamentary aspects of the province. Special consideration will be given to works focusing on parliamentary heritage and on provincial discourse. Fiction and non-fiction submissions are accepted, in either French or English. For more information, please contact Irene Chalmers at irene_chalmers@ontla.ola.org. Speaker’s Book Award Parliamentary Protocol and Public Relations Branch, Room 191, Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON M7A 1A2. Prize: $1000; Speaker’s special guest at 2013 Awards Reception; book featured at the Legislative Gift Shop and in the Legislative Library Entry Fee: None Details: www.ontla.on.ca; (416) 325-0270
- GREAT BLUE HERON POETRY CONTEST DEADLINE AUG. 31, 2012 Poems on any subject. Total entry not to exceed 4 pages. Maximum 150 lines. Entries might be one longer poem, or several shorter poems. This includes a one-year subscription to TAR which will begin with the fall issue. Make cheques or money orders payable to The Antigonish Review Contest, St. Francis Xavier University, Box 5000, Antigonish NS B2G 2W5. Deadline: June 30, 2012 Prizes: $600, $400, $200 & Publication Entry Fee: $25 Details: http://www.antigonishreview.com/index.php 902-867-3962
- The Ted Plantos Memorial Award Deadline: August 31, 2012 There is no age barrier. Anyone can apply, as long as they don’t have a full collection of their poems previously published, even self-published. This award is offered to poets who live and/or work in Ontario only. In exchange for financial support, the recipient will acknowledge the financial assistance of The Ontario Poetry Society. The Ontario Poetry Society, Attention: L.B. Iskov, 710 – 65 Spring Garden Avenue, Toronto ON M41N 6119. Prize: $100 + certificate Entry Fee: None Details: http://www.theontariopoetrysociety.ca/Tedplantosawardapplication.html
- Quebec Writing Competition Deadline: August 31, 2012 The competition is open to all residents of Quebec with the following exceptions: employees or long-term contractors with any of the sponsoring bodies: and winners of previous Quebec Writing Competition. Short fiction or creative nonfiction, maximum length is 1,200 words. The three winning stories will be broadcast on CBC Radio One’s Cinq a Six (heard Saturdays at 5 p.m.). Quebec Writers’ Federation, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Suite 3, Montreal QC H3Z 1X4. Prize: $1,500; $1,000; $500 + broadcast Entry Fee: $10 Details: http://www.qwf.org ; 514-933-0878.
- AESTHETICA CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION DEADLINE: AUGUST 31, 2012. The Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition is now open for entries! The competition celebrates and champions creative writing, nurturing talent and bringing work to international attention. There are two categories for entry, Poetry and Short Fiction, and a selection of fantastic prizes including: £500 prize money – Poetry winner. £500 prize money – Short Fiction winner. Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual Complimentary copy of the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual. A selection of books from our competition partners. For more information and to enter please visit: http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm Submissions previously published elsewhere are accepted. Entry is £10 and allows for the entry of two works into any one category. Deadline: 31 August 2012
- Gemini Magazine Fourth Annual Flash Fiction Contest Deadline: August 31, 2012 Entry Fee: $4 Prizes: $1000, $100, $50 Guidelines: Must be previously unpublished. No restrictions on content, style, or genre. Simply send your best, most powerful work under 1000 words. Details: http://www.gemini-magazine.com/contest.html
- Red Hen Press (US) is accepting submissions of unpublished poetry manuscripts for the 2012 Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award. Prize: US$3000 plus publication of the selected collection. Length: 48-96 pages. Entry fee: US$25. Deadline: August 31, 2012. http://redhen.org/awards-2/bsa/
- Registration is now open for the Canadian-born 35th Annual International 3-Day Novel Contest. First prize: publication; additional prizes available. Fee: $50/$55. EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION AUG. 15, FINAL Registration deadline: August 31, 2012. Can you produce a masterwork of fiction in a mere 72 hours? The annual International 3-Day Novel Contest is your chance to find out. The contest runs every Labour Day long weekend, as it has since 1977, and it now attracts writers from all over the world. It’s a thrill, a grind, and an awesome creative experience. How many crazed plotlines, coffee-stained pages, pangs of doubt and moments of genius will the next contest bring forth? And what might you think up under pressure? The 35th Annual 3-Day Novel Contest will take place September 1-3, 2012. Registration is now open. http://www.3daynovel.com/
- Snake Nation Press: Violet Reed Haas Prize for Poetry Postmark Deadline: August 31 Now in its twenty-second year, Snake Nation Press announces the 2012 Violet Reed Haas Prize for Poetry: • $1,000 prize and publication • $25 entry fee must accompany the manuscript • 50-75 page manuscript; previously published poems eligible. Please mail your entry and fee to: Snake Nation Press, Attn: Poetry Contest, 2920 North Oak Street, Valdosta, GA 31602
- Also at Snake Nation Press: Serena McDonald Kennedy Award Postmark Deadline: August 31. Submit a novella of up to 50,000 words or a manuscript of short stories up to 200 pages long. Fiction and nonfiction accepted. Any well-written manuscript on any topic will be considered. Previously published works may be entered. An entry fee of $25 must accompany the submission. Winner receives $1,000 award and publication. Please mail your entry and fee to: Snake Nation Press, Attn: Serena McDonald Kennedy Award, 2920 North Oak Street, Valdosta, GA 31602
- TIGER’S EYE PRESS Chapbook Competition. Deadline: August 31, 2012. Guidelines: Winner receives $100 and 25 copies. Send 20-25 pages of poetry, a title page, table of contents, and an acknowledgements page, all with no identifying information. Send a second title page with your name and contact information. Please include a short bio, SASE or email address, and a $15 reading fee per contest manuscript. Tiger’s Eye Press, P.O. Box 9723, Denver, CO, 80209
AND FOR LATER DATES:
- 2012 Barthelme Prize for Short Prose Deadline: September 1. Gulf Coast is now accepting entries for the 2012 Barthelme Prize for Short Prose. The contest is open to pieces of prose poetry, flash fiction, and micro-essays of 500 words or fewer. Established in 2008, the contest awards its winner $1,000 and publication in the journal. Two honorable mentions will also appear in issue 25.2, due out in April 2013, and all entries will be considered for paid publication on our website. MORE INFO: http://www.gulfcoastmag.org/index.php?n=7
- Trinity College London International Playwriting Competition DEADLINE SEPT. 7 Encouraging new playwriting for young performers and audiences. Entry for Trinity’s third annual International Playwriting Competition is now open, and there are amazing prizes on offer to aspiring playwrights worldwide. The winning playwright in each category will be awarded a cash prize of £1,000 and will travel to London to see their plays performed at the Unicorn Theatre. There are also prizes for Highly Commended plays and special awards for the Most Promising Young Playwrights. MORE INFO: http://www.trinitycollege.co.uk/site/?id=1996
- Writer’s Digest Short Story Competition Deadline: September 14, 2012. Whatever your genre, we’ve got the category for you. Choose your favorite genre and enter your best in 4,000 words or less. Each of the 6 categories offers the a place for everybody’s story. Compete and Win in All 6 Categories! Wondering what’s in it for you? A chance to win the Grand Prize including $2,500 and a trip to the 2013 Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City. A chance to win one of the six $500 Category First Prizes . Get your fiction story Featured in Writer’s Digest and on WritersDigest.com. Win $100 off a purchase at www.writersdigestshop.com . Receive a copy of the 2013 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Complete info at: http://www.writersdigest.com/popularfictionawards?et_mid=542024&rid=233037386
- THE SUMMER DREAMS POETRY CONTEST Deadline: September 15, 2012. Pandora’s Collective poetry contests are open to writers world wide and of all age categories. Please read our guidelines before submitting. Poems can be of any theme or form as long as they do not exceed the forty line max. We do not accept previously published poems. All rights return to the poet after publication. Pandora’s Collective (Poetry Contest Submission), 5505 Main Street, Vancouver BC V5W 2S3. For more info please email info@pandorascollective.com. Prize: $100, $50, + publication (three levels) Entry Fee:$5 Details: http://www.pandorascollective.com/what-we-do/contests
- BLOODROOT POETRY CONTEST Reading period runs April 1 through September 15. http://www.bloodrootlm.com/contest.html $15 FOR THREE POEMS. Three prizes of $200, $100, $50, three honorable mentions and publication in 2012 Bloodroot Literary Magazine edition. All entries are considered for publication. Submit original, unpublished, free verse, ten lines to two pages. The competition is open to any poet who writes in English.
- ON THE PREMISES WEB-BASED CONTEST #18 launched July 8, 2012. Its premise is TIME: Time matters in every story, of course. But for this contest, we want time to play an especially important role. Send us a story where time, or some aspect of time, or some idea directly related to time, is vital to the characters and the plot. Any genre except children’s fiction, exploitative sex, or over-the-top gross-out horror is fine. Your challenge: In at least 1,000 but no more than 5,000 words, write a creative, compelling, and well-crafted story that clearly uses the premise. If you have questions, ask us at Questions@OnThePremises.com. Deadline: 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Friday, September 28, 2012. That’s Friday, September 28. MORE INFORMATION AND TO ACCESS SUBMISSION LINK: http://www.onthepremises.com/current_contest.html
- NEW! POETRY KIT SUMMER POETRY COMPETITION 2012. DEADLINE: BEFORE MIDNIGHT 30th SEPTEMBER 2012. Poems on the theme of “the natural world” (this can be broadly interpreted). No style or length restrictions but a short poem is just as likely to be selected as a longer one. ONLINE ENTRY ONLY. Entry is by email to comp@poetrykit.org after an appropriate fee is paid by Pay Pal to the account of info@poetrykit.org and all entries must be received before midnight 30th September 2012 Entries received after this time will be discarded. First prize is £100 and the winning poem plus those selected for special commendation will be published at the Poetry Kit website. Entry fees are as follows: 1 poem £3.50, 3 Poems £8.00, 5 poems £10. Competition Judge: Lesley Burt. Full details at http://www.poetrykit.org/comp2012.htm
- NEW! 23RD ANNUAL REUBEN ROSE POETRY COMPETITION DEADLINE: SEPT. 30, 2012. Voices Israel announces the 23rd annual Reuben Rose Poetry Competition. Judges: Kenneth Salzmann of USA, Yakov Azriel, last year’s first prize winner and Dina Yehuda, last year’s 3rd prize winner. First prize – $500, second prize – $150, third prize – $50. Ten honorable mentions. Prizewinners and all honorable mentions will be published in the Voices Israel 2013 Poetry Anthology. The competition is general and not necessarily on Jewish or Israeli subjects. Challenging, humorous and/or curious poetry is welcome. Poems should be unpublished, no more than 40 lines, including stanza breaks but not including title. Use the online submission form at http://www.voicesisrael.com/reubenrosecompetition.htm to submit your poems. Poems are judged anonymously. Competition poems must be received during the period June 1-Sept.30, 2012 Cost: Voices Israel members: US$5.00 for one poem, $10 for 3 poems, $15 for 6 poems. Non members: US$6.00 for one poem, $12 for 3 poems, $18 for 6 poems. Payment by PayPal or by check (full details on the website http://www.voicesisrael.com/reubenrosecompetition.htm)
- Dark Tales Short Story Contest Deadline: September 30, 2012 Entry Fee: £3 for non-subscribers, free to subscribers Prizes: £500, £250, £100, publication in Dark Tales Guidelines: Horror and speculative fiction stories of under 5000 words. Details: http://darktales.co.uk/contest.php
- Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest Postmark Deadline: September 30, 2012. Now in its tenth year, this contest seeks poems in any style, theme or genre. You may submit work that has been published or won prizes elsewhere, as long as you own the online publication rights. Prizes of $3,000, $1,000, $400 and $250 will be awarded, plus six Most Highly Commended Awards of $150 each. New this year, there will also be a special $250 bonus prize for humorous verse. The entry fee is $8 for every 25 lines you submit. Submit online or by mail. Early submission encouraged. This contest is sponsored by Tom Howard Books and assisted by Winning Writers. Judges: John H. Reid and Dee C. Konrad. See the complete guidelines and past winners. http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/tomstory/ts_guidelines.php
- PHILIP LEVINE POETRY BOOK PRIZE 2012 Postmark Deadline: 9/30/2012. $2000 prize and publication by Anhinga Press Final Judge: CORNELIUS EADY . Manuscript should be original poetry, not previously published in book form, 48-100 pages, no more than one poem per page. Include two manuscript title pages: one with name and contact information and one with the name of the manuscript ONLY. The entry fee is $25. FULL DETAILS AT: http://www.fresnostate.edu/english/mfa/levine/guidelines.shtml
- PURITAN MAGAZINE The Thomas Morton Memorial Prize in Literary Excellence invites submissions of fiction and poetry. Winners receive $650 (fiction) or $350 (poetry), books from a variety of well-known Canadian presses, and publication in best-of anthology. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: September 30, 2012. http://www.puritan-magazine.com/
- Red Hen Press (US) is currently accepting submissions of original, unpublished poetry for the 2012 Ruskin Art Club Poetry Award. Entry fee: US$20 for up to three poems, 120 lines max. Award: US$1000 and publication of the selected poem in The Los Angeles Review. Deadline: September 30, 2012. http://redhen.org/awards-2/rpa/
- CANADIAN SHORT SCREENPLAY COMPETITION Deadline: September 30, 2012. Extensive guidelines on the website. The entered screenplay must not have been previously optioned, sold or produced. The submitted Material must be original works, and the sole property of the Applicant(s). Screenplays of any genre will he considered and must be the original work of the author submitting it. Each Competition Entrant will receive an email notifying them of the competition results. Canadian Short Screenplay Competition c/o Year of the Skunk Productions, 1108-33 Mill Street, Toronto ON M5A 3R3. For more info please email cssc@yearoftheskunk.com. Prize: $1,500; $350; and $250 + option Entry Fee: $75 Details: http://yearoftheskunk.com/
- NEW! Telegraph-Journal, New Brunswick’s provincial daily newspaper. The Salon Fiction Prize. Deadline: Entries must be received by Oct. 1, 2012 The winning piece For a work of short fiction in English between 1,500-3,000 words will be published in an issue of the Telegraph-Journal’s art and culture section, Salon, and $1,000. The winner will be selected by a trio of judges from Atlantic Canadian universities: Thomas Hodd (University of Moncton); Alexander MacLeod (Saint Mary’s University); and Sue Goyette (Dalhousie University). Open to all residents of Canada. All entries must be unpublished material and not under consideration in any other contest of competition. Entries will not be returned, so keep a copy. Submissions may be sent via email to salon@telegraphjournal.com or by mail to 210 Crown Street, Saint John, N.B., E2L 3V8. Entries must include a contact email and telephone number where the author may be contacted. For more details and information, email salon@telegraphjournal.com.
- NEW! SIXTEENTH ANNUAL ZOETROPE: ALL-STORY SHORT FICTION CONTEST. The contest will open for entries July 1. Entries must be complete by October 1, 2012, at 11:59 P.M. PDT. First prize: $1,000 Second prize: $500 Third prize: $250. The three prizewinners and seven honorable mentions will be considered for representation by William Morris Endeavor, ICM, Regal Literary, the Elaine Markson Literary Agency, Inkwell Management, Sterling Lord Literistic, Aitken Alexander Associates, Barer Literary, the Gernert Company, and the Georges Borchardt Literary Agency. Important Dates: Results will be announced at the website December 15 and in the Spring 2013 issue of Zoetrope: All-Story; and the winning story will be published as a special online supplement to that Spring 2013 issue. Complete Guidelines: We accept all genres of literary fiction. Entries must be: unpublished; strictly 5,000 words or less; and accompanied by a $20 entry fee per story. There are no formatting restrictions; please ensure only that the story is legible. We welcome multiple entries ($20/story) and entries from outside the U.S. We will e-mail contest updates and results to anyone who provides an active e-mail address. Entrants retain all rights to their stories. Once a story is submitted, we cannot accept an updated draft. (However, an entrant is welcome to submit an updated draft as a new entry.) Entry fees will not be returned or adjusted. Please e-mail us at contests@all-story.com with further questions.
- NEIL POSTMAN AWARD FOR METAPHOR (no fee) Rolling Deadline. Although primarily known as an educationist and a media critic, Neil Postman was, at his core, a “noticer”—and he particularly noticed what we do with metaphor and how metaphor shapes and creates our cognitive world. Postman maintained that words (and words, in truth, are metaphors) are as much the driver of reality as they are the vehicle. Consequently, metaphor was not a subject to be relegated and limited to high school poetry units wherein a teacher drones on about the difference between “like” and “as” and considers the job finished. For Postman, the study of metaphor was unending and metaphors were as crucial as they were omnipresent; they served to give form to and dictate experience. In honor and remembrance of Neil Postman, who died on October 5, 2003, we have established the Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. The motivation for the award is simple and two-fold: To reward a given writer for his or her use of metaphor, and to celebrate (and hopefully propagate) Postman’s work and the typographical mind. Each spring the editors will choose one poem from all of the submissions received by Rattle during the previous year. The author of the chosen poem will receive $500. There are no entry fees or special submission guidelines. Send up to 5 unpublished poems plus a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to: Rattle, 12411 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604. To browse previous winners, and for information on how to submit electronically, visit our website: www.rattle.com
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