[1]Do you think you’ve got a good story to tell? If you do, there’s a prestigious writing contest for Ontario residents that offers writers a chance to tell their story to readers across Canada, to earn a lucrative cash prize and to study with some of the most experienced creative writing teachers in the country.
Starting Saturday, January 7, aspiring writers and authors can enter the Toronto Star’s 2012 Short Story Contest [2], one of the largest in North America. The contest, which is now in its 34th year and is open to all Ontario residents aged 16 and older, attracted nearly 2,100 entries last year. Previous winners have come from all parts of the province and from a wide range of personal and work-related backgrounds.
The winner of the contest will receive a grand prize of $5,000 plus the tuition fee for the 30-week creative writing correspondence program at the Humber School for Writers [3], worth approximately $3,000. In addition, the second-place winner will receive a prize of $2,000 and the third-place winner will receive $1,000. The Humber School for Writers is also a partner in the contest.
For the third consecutive year, the Toronto Public Library [4] is a partner with the Star in presenting the contest. “The library is very pleased to join the Star in encouraging writers of this wonderful literary form. We know there are thousands of stories waiting to be told, and we wish all this year’s entrants the best of luck,” said Jane Pyper, city librarian of the Toronto Public Library.
The judges for the 2012 contest are:
- Jessica Westhead, author of the short story collection And Also Sharks
- Jane Pyper, city librarian of the Toronto Public Library
- Richard Ouzounian, theatre critic for the Toronto Star and author of six books
- Dianne Rinehart, the Star’s books editor
The winners will be announced in April during the library’s Keep Toronto Reading Festival [5]. Their stories will be published in the Toronto Star [2]. Deadline for submitting entries is February 26, 2012. Stories must be written in English and must not exceed 2,500 words. For see the contest page [2] for full complete contest rules.