fwd: THE WRITERS' UNION OF CANADA ANNOUNCES 22nd ANNUAL SHORT PROSE COMPETITION FOR DEVELOPING WRITERS

The Writers' Union of Canada is pleased to launch its 22nd Annual Short Prose Competition for Developing Writers, which invites writers to submit a piece of fiction or non-fiction of up to 2,500 words in the English language that has not previously been published in any format. A $2,500 prize will be awarded to a Canadian writer not published in a book format. The entries of the winner and finalists will be submitted to three Canadian magazines for consideration. The deadline for entries is March 1, 2015.

The Union initiated the Short Prose Competition in 1993 in honour of its 20th anniversary. The Competition aims to discover, encourage, and promote new writers of short prose. “The Short Prose Competition attracts a wide pool of talented writers,” notes the Union’s Executive Director, John Degen. “The quality of the writing continues to impress with each passing year.”

The Union is proud to announce an esteemed group of jurors for the Competition. Vancouver-based environmental journalist and author Arno Kopecky’s second book, The Oil Man and the Sea, won the 2014 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Nonfiction and was shortlisted for the 2014 Governor General's Award. His writing has appeared in such publications as The Walrus, Foreign Policy, The Globe and Mail, and Reader’s Digest. Donna Morrissey is the award-winning author of Kit's Law, Downhill Chance, What They Wanted, Sylvanus Now (shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize), and the children’s book Cross Katie Cross. Originally from Newfoundland, she now lives in Halifax. Retired Professor of English, University of Winnipeg, Uma Parameswaran is known for her contributions to the emerging field of South Asian Canadian Literature, writing novels, short stories, and poetry. Her works include A Cycle of the Moon, Sisters at the Well, The Sweet Smell of Mother’s Milk-wet Bodice, and the Canadian Authors' Association Jubilee Award-winning What Was Always Hers.

The competition is open to Canadian residents who have not had a book published and who do not have a contract with a book publisher. Submissions are accepted online (along with a $29 entry fee per submission) at www.writersunion.submittable.com by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on March 1, 2015. The winner will be announced in May 2015. For complete rules and regulations, please go to www.writersunion.ca/short-prose-competition.

The Writers' Union of Canada is the national organization representing professional book authors. Founded in 1973, the Union is dedicated to fostering writing in Canada and promoting the rights, freedoms, and economic well-being of all writers. For more information, please visit www.writersunion.ca

fwd: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: 13th ANNUAL POSTCARD STORY COMPETITION $750 PRIZE

The Writers' Union of Canada is pleased to announce that submissions are being accepted until February 14, 2012, for the 13th annual POSTCARD STORY COMPETITION. The winning entry will be the best Canadian work of 250 words or fewer in the English language, fiction or nonfiction. Are you up for the challenge? Can you create a dynamic, lean, and efficient piece in only 250words? You can use humour, poetry, dialogue. Anything goes!   
PRIZE  $750 for the winning entry. The winning entry will be published in Write, the magazine of The Writers' Union of Canada. The winner agrees that The Writers' Union of Canada will have non-exclusive publication rights to publish the winning entry in Write, for publicity purposes. Any publication of the author's story by The Writers' Union of Canada will include an authorship credit and a copyright notice in the name of the author. Copyright of the winning postcard story remains with the writer.    

JURY Clayton Bailey, John Lent, and Nerys Parry will serve as the jury.    

ELIGIBILITY This competition is open to all Canadian citizens and landed immigrants. Original and unpublished in any format (English language) fiction or non-fiction, no more than 250 words.    

HOW TO SUBMIT ENTRIES  * Entries should be typed, double-spaced, in a clear twelve-point font, and the pages numbered on 8.5 x 11 paper, not stapled.  * Submissions will be accepted in hardcopy only. 
* Include a separate cover letter with title of story, full name, address, phone number, e-mail address, word count, and number of pages of entry. 
* The author's name should not appear on the actual entry.
* Make cheque or money order, $7.50 per submission, payable to The Writers' Union of Canada. Multiple entries can be submitted together and fees can be added and paid with one cheque or money order. * Entries must be postmarked by February 14, 2012 to be eligible. 
* Mail entries to: PCS Competition, The Writers' Union of Canada, 90Richmond Street East, Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5C 1P1.

Results will be posted at http://www.writersunion.ca in May 2012. Manuscripts will not be returned.