A New Kind of Literary Pulse

Our relationship with money is one of the most important and complex we will have. Our experience with it – both good and bad – shapes our lives. Money can also be one of the most challenging topics to share and discuss.

Principal Foundation believes talking about money is part of removing barriers and empowering people and communities to build a more financially secure future.

To encourage these conversations, Principal Foundation, with the support of Short Edition and The Center for Fiction, is launching Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative, a national short story contest designed to bring our experiences with money – positive and negative – out of the shadows.

We want to read your imaginative and meaningful short stories (fiction and creative nonfiction) touching on themes related to money and personal finance. Introduce us to protagonists whose relationship to money may be on the verge of unexpected or needed change.

The first 400 submissions will be read by Short Edition’s editorial team and up to 30 finalists will be selected by a panel of esteemed authors, curated by The Center for Fiction. Finalists will be selected to receive a $250 honorarium and have their stories distributed across Principal Foundation’s Short Story Dispensers throughout the year in these 5 locations:

• New York Public Library (455 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10016)
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (5801 Rea Road Charlotte, NC 28277)
• Prairie Lights (15 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, IA 52240)
• Elliott Bay Book Company (1521 10th Ave. Seattle WA USA, 98122)
• Sip & Sonder (108 S Market St, Inglewood, CA 90301)

Short Édition will also consider all finalists for international publication in their 300+ Dispensers worldwide in universities, public libraries, airports, public transportation centers, retail, and other locations.