It is last call for the 15th annual Okanagan Short Story Contest. What better way to celebrate the Yuletide season than to write something stirring and moving that could also win a cash prize?
All writers in the Southern Interior of B.C. — east of Hope, west of the Alberta border, north of the U.S. border, and south of William’s Lake — are invited to enter their original, unpublished works of fiction.
The popular writing contest is sponsored by the faculty of creative and critical studies at UBC’s Okanagan campus, The Kelowna Capital News, and the Central Okanagan Foundation.
Nationally renowned author Erin Mouré will select the best short stories from the entries. Winners will be awarded $500 for first place, $200 for second, and $100 for third. The three winning stories will be published in a limited edition chapbook and celebrated at a reading in the spring of 2013.
“The Okanagan Short Story Contest has a history of attracting internationally-known judges, and this year is no exception,” said Sonnet L’Abbé, a lecturer in creative writing and poetry with the department of creative studies. “If you have literary aspirations, or have a story or two sitting in a drawer, send something in — this could be your big break!”
This year’s submission deadline is Friday, Jan. 4.
Entries must be submitted on 8 ½ x 11-inch plain white paper, double-spaced and typed. Stories should be previously unpublished works and range from 1,000 to 4,000 words. There are no age limits or limits on the number of entries. Each entry must be accompanied by a $15 entry fee, either a money order or cheque payable to the University of British Columbia.
Mail entries and fee to: Okanagan Short Fiction Contest c/o Melissa McHugh, FIN 153, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, University of British Columbia FINE ARTS, 153-3333 University Way, Kelowna, B.C., V1V 1V7.
Complete contest rules can be found at www.okstorycontest.org.
