Short Story Contest: 2023

Enter your work January 1 - March 15, 2023

Winners will be announced at the 2023 Festival: June 2-4, 2023

About the Festival

The Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story is inspired by one of the greatest storytellers of our time, Alice Munro. Born and raised in Wingham, Munro has spent most of her life as a Huron County resident. She is the only Canadian to be awarded the Nobel prize for literature, which she won in 2013.

The Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story strives to nurture emerging local writers, showcase Canadian authors, and celebrate the joy of reading, writing and telling our stories. This annual festival takes place across Huron County and features workshops, author readings, presentations, performances and a short story contest.

About the Short Story Contest

The winning entry will be the work of fiction, up to 2,500 words in the English language, written by an author not yet published in book format.

Short Story Contest (for adults)

Adult writers are 19 years and older.

Entry Fee

$25 per entry

Prizes

First Prize: $1,500

Second Prize: $250

Third Prize: $250

Short Story Contest (for Youth)

Youth are up to 19 years of age on or before March 15, 2023

Entry Fee

$10 per entry

Prizes

First Prize: $500

Second Prize: $250

Third Prize: $250

Contest Eligibility

Jury

A regional judging panel will select the top 10 stories within each category.

A celebrity judge will choose the winners.

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Eligible Writers

● Canadian citizens or landed immigrants /refugees and those living in Canada

● Previous winners are ineligible to win again in the same category.

● All writers who have NOT been published professionally

○ in book format

○ online publications

○ and who do not have a contract with a book publisher (not include self-published or technical writing)

Eligible Entries

● Short fiction prose: up to and including 2,500 words (title excluded), English language

● Name must not be on the submitted file

● Not previously paid to be published in any format

● Must be writers’ original works

● Multiple submissions welcome – (only one entry per writer is eligible for award)

How to Submit

● Click on the button below to fill out the application form and upload your entry

● Submissions will be accepted online only

● Payment will be made by credit card (Visa, MasterCard)

● Entries must be received by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on March 15, 2023

● Shortlisted winners will be notified prior to the festival in June

If it is not possible for the entrant to make an online payment, please mail your entry and cheque. Your entry must be received by March 15, 2023. Cheque should be made payable to Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story and mailed to:

Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story

c/o Huron County Library

77722B London Road, RR#5

Clinton, ON N0M 1L0​

Thank you to our Short Story Contest Partner: