A free haiku contest, a call for short stories, contests for stories, essays and poetry, and workshops in Thessalon

Aoife Walsh
- Welcome to Canada!

Hello, Brian.

We would be very grateful if you could bring our call for short story submissions (up to 2,500 words) to the attention of your students and faculty. Please note our extended deadline of April 14th. (Full submission guidelines here.)

The South Circular will relocate from Dublin, Ireland, to Toronto, Canada this month.

With best wishes,
Aoife Walsh
Editor & Publisher
The South Circular

"Hallelujah Chorus" by Victoria Pearce,
one of the artists to be featured in
BAC's In the Garden exhibition

The Burlington Art Centre invites you to participate in their free Haiku Poetry Contest as part of their In the Garden exhibition. A haiku is a short, three-lined Japanese poem. The first line has five syllables, the second line has seven, and the third line has five.  

There are three age groups for this contest: Group A (ages 10-14); Group B (ages 15-19); and Group C (ages 19+). Winners will receive a monetary prize and have their haiku poems published in the exhibition catalogue which will be launched at the closing reception on May 25, 2014.

There are two ways to participate in the contest:

1. Visit the In the Garden exhibition beginning April 12, 2014, and write a haiku inspired by the show.
2. If you are unable to visit the exhibition before April 30, get inspired by any garden of your choice and submit your haiku by email to salyc@thebac.ca

 with HAIKU in the subject line.

Please include your name, age group, address and email address. This information will only be used to contact the winners of the contest. Limit of one entry per person.

Deadline: Wednesday April 30, 2014. Full contest rules here.

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Now in its 22nd year. Formerly known as the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest, fiction and nonfiction will now be judged separately. “In each category we will award a first prize of $1,000 and five Honorable Mentions of $100 each.” Submit short stories, essays and other works of prose, up to 6,000 words each. Both published and unpublished works are welcome. $16 entry fee.

Deadline: April 30, 2014. Full contest rules and past winners here.

Hi, Brian.

I noticed that we had a few visitors from your blog this weekend – thank you for sharing Ruminate's Short Story prize earlier in 2013!  I thought you might be interested to know we have a poetry prize coming up. Here are a few more details:

Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize - Entry Fee: $20, two poems per submission. Prize: $1500 and publication in the Summer 2014 Issue will be awarded to the winner. The runner-up will receive $200 and publication in the Spring 2014 Issue.

Deadline 1 May, 2014.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you, and thank you for providing writers with such a great resource! 

Best, 
Keira Havens
Ruminate Magazine

Renowned travel writer, Charles Wilkins
to speak in Thessalon May 3

Hi, Brian:
We’ve announced the theme of our short story contest. The press release is pasted below. Please publicize it if you can. Much thanks!
Pauline Clark

Shout Out to Algoma Writers

Stories in the North has just announced the theme of their second Annual Short Story contest: “Lost and found.” Think about all the ways things could be lost and found and you’re sure to come up with some ideas for a winning story. The theme doesn’t have to be the main focus of your story but must be integral. Stories will be judged with the theme in mind. Your story can be any length up to 5,000 words and any genre will be accepted.

Anyone living in Algoma for all or part of the year is eligible to enter. There are two divisions; young writers, aged 18 and under or adults, aged 19 and over. Full contest rules here.

Also, on May 3, Stories in the north is presenting a day of workshops in Thessalon, Ontario. At 10 a.m. Charles Wilkins leads a workshop about journey writing, “The Writer's Map to Everywhere: Putting the Story on the Road, and at 2 p.m. Gloria Jean Hansen leads her workshop, You can write for Chicken Soup for the Soul!”

After the workshops, join the gang for an evening of reading with Charlie at the IOOF Hall in Thessalon. Readings will be interspersed with great musical entertainment by local musicians Al St. Pierre and Len Doi, accompanied by Peter Evans on bass. Finger foods and cash bar available.

To register for workshops, contact Angie Gallop at 705-842-2451

And check out the Stories in the North blog posting about my recent workshop in Thessalon here. – Brian

See my schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Collingwood, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Orangeville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.