Held in conjunction with the Wisconsin Book Festival, these juried short story and poetry contests are the largest of their kind in the state, offering an opportunity for publication and cash prizes. Both the poetry and short contests are open to all Wisconsin residents, and submissions will be accepted until December 15, 2009, at 5:00 pm. Prizes include up to $500 cash, publication in Wisconsin People & Ideas, a one-week stay at Edenfred (a creative arts residency in Madison), and more. The top three winners in both the poetry and short story contest are also invited to read their work at the Wisconsin Book Festival in 2010. Visit our contest web page for complete contest rules and submission guidelines. The Wisconsin People & Ideas / Wisconsin Book Festival 2010 poetry and short story contests are supported by the Wisconsin Humanities Council, Wisconsin Public Televison, and Avol’s Bookstore.
About the Poetry Contest
Winners of the Wisconsin People & Ideas/Wisconsin Book Festival 2010 poetry contest receive cash awards of $500 (first place, the John Lehman Poetry Award), $100 (second place), and $50 (third place). Winning poems by the top three winners—along with another poem selected by poetry editor John Lehman—appear online at wisconsinacademy.org and in the spring 2010 issue of Wisconsin People & Ideas, with the ten runners-up in the summer and fall 2010 editions. The first-prize poet receives a one-week stay at Edenfred and a three-hour CD recording/editing session at Abella Studios.
Some familiar poets from the Wisconsin poetry scene will judge this year’s poetry contest. The lead judge is Linda Aschbrenner, poet and founder, editor, and publisher of the poetry journal Free Verse (now Verse Wisconsin). Aschbrenner is also the founder of Marsh River Editions, a publisher of poetry chapbooks. Other poetry judges include Lester Smith, Tom Montag, and B.J. Best. The contest is coordinated by John Lehman.
About the Short Story Contest
Winners of the Wisconsin People & Ideas/Wisconsin Book Festival 2010 short story contest will receive prizes of $500 (first place), $250 (second place), and $100 (third place). Their stories will be published serially, beginning with the first-prize story, online at wisconsinacademy.org and in the summer 2010 issue of Wisconsin People & Ideas. The first-place story will be reviewed by a noted literary agent, and the author will receive a one-week stay at Edenfred, a creative arts residency in Madison owned by the Terry Family Foundation.
This year, an esteemed panel of authors will judge short story submissions. The lead judge is Dwight Allen, essayist, novelist, and author of The Typewriter Satyr (UW Press, 2009). The contest is coordinated by Wisconsin People & Ideas editor, Jason A. Smith, and ably judged by Alison Jones Chaim, Nickolas Butler, and Beth L. Lueck.
For more information on the Wisconsin People & Ideas / Wisconsin Book Festival 2010 poetry and short story contests, please visit our our contest web page.
