The Results Are In!
We're proud to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the Short Fiction & Poetry Contest for spring 2020. Congratulations to the following authors!
Juried Winners
- In the short fiction category: "Or We'll Burn This Town Down" by Ferdison Cayetano
- In the poetry category: "Poppy Seeds" by Corina Lynn
Public Winners
- In the short fiction category: "Or We'll Burn This Town Down" by Ferdison Cayetano
- In the poetry category: "c. 1873" by Shade Ayeni
Juried Honorable Mentions
- In the short fiction category: "It's Hard to be a Beauty Queen from Scaggsville" by Christina McBride
- In the poetry category: "Matoaka" by Shane Moran
William & Mary Libraries are excited to host the first university-wide creative writing contest in tandem with Short Edition, French publisher and creator of the Short Story Dispenser. The university’s new Dispenser has found its home at Swem Library and has been churning out bite-sized contemporary and classic literature for students to enjoy, free of charge. And now, kicking it off with this contest, William & Mary Libraries invite all students to submit their own creative writing for a chance to be published in the Short Story Dispenser!
The Details
From December 6th through February 14th, students may submit poetry or short fiction of less than 8,000 characters, spaces included, that speaks to the theme of the contest: Home, inspired by William & Mary’s selected novel for the One Book, One Community initiative, Tommy Orange’s There There.
Home is the intersection of place and identity, the intangible and tangible, history molding the present. It’s a rich fabric spun from family, friends, cultures, and traditions, woven together over time and, perhaps most importantly, through storytelling. The idea of home—the design and pattern of its fabric—is unique to each of us. Sometimes we try others’ on to see how it feels or perhaps to conceal the uncertainty in our own; Yet, often enough, when two or more are woven together, if even for a moment, our sense of home, of community, is enriched.
“When you hear stories from people like you, you feel less alone. When you feel less alone, and like you have a community of people behind you, alongside you, I believe you can live a better life.” - Tommy Orange, There There
Winners
William & Mary Libraries’ Editorial Team will select 20-40 finalists amongst all submissions. From these finalists, a designated Jury will select one winner and an honorable mention in both the prose and poetry categories.
The public is also invited to read, comment on, and vote for their favorite finalists. The prose and poetry submission with the highest number of votes will be selected the two Public Choice Winners of the contest.
Prizes
We are pleased to award the juried and public winners $200 and the honorable mentions $100. All winners, honorable mentions, and other selected works will also be celebrated and showcased in the Short Story Dispenser in Swem Library. In addition, Short Edition’s Editorial Team will be reviewing all finalists to be considered for publication in their more than 300 Dispensers around the world.
Contest Timeline
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Contact Us
For any questions, please contact us at libraryoutreach@wm.edu