BRATTLEBORO — Write Action, a grassroots writers' nonprofit organization based, seeks entries for its sixth annual Poetry and Prose Writing Contest.
The theme this year will be “How did I end up here?” This theme may be interpreted literally, figuratively, or any combination thereof.
Entries in each category will be judged anonymously by a distinguished panel of published authors. The first-place winners in each category will be awarded a $50 gift certificate to a Brattleboro bookstore, while the second and third place winners each receive a $25 gift certificate.
There will again be a youth category for ages 18 and younger with a first-place winner each in poetry and prose, and honorable mentions in each category. The first-place winners will be awarded $25 gift certificates to a Brattleboro book store.
The judge for the youth category is a nationally known author of books for young adults.
The first entry by each writer is free but each additional entry (for a maximum total of three) will require a $10 fee. All entries must be postmarked by June 30. Judging will be completed on or about Aug. 1, and the winners will be notified before the annual Write Action picnic later in August.
The winners will be publicly announced at the picnic, and invited to read their entries there and at the Literary Festival in early fall.
Mail typed hard copies to Write Action Contest, P.O. Box 822, Brattleboro, VT 05302, postmarked no later than June 30, or drop them off at 39 Allerton Ave., Brattleboro, no later than June 30. To qualify, each entry must be submitted in four typed hard copies; prose should be double spaced.
Prose entries will be limited to 1,500 words, the number of words marked at the end. Poems should be limited to 40 lines each, but there may be up to two poems counting as one entry; each poem should be printed on a separate page, and each will be judged separately.
The author's name should not appear in any form on the text pages but only on one cover page for all poetry submissions and one cover page for all prose submissions, with phone number, e-mail address and postal address also included on the cover page only, so that the judging may be done anonymously.
Youth entries should indicate on the cover page that they are for the youth category.
For more information, call 802-254-9586 or 802-254-7755.