West Virginia Writers Inc. is now accepting submissions for its annual contest for grade 1-12, the New Mountain Voices Student Writing Contest. Submissions are accepted from Jan. 2 through Mar. 15 (with a late deadline of Mar. 31). The contest is free to enter and offers prizes in three age groups; grade 1-5, grade 6-8, and grade 9-12. Students in any age group may choose from six suggested contest topics. The topics this year include: “Who or what is sleeping under my bed?”; “Stay off my rock!”; “How I’ll change the world;” “Zombie party!”; “The adventure I went on and didn’t tell” and “West Virginia Legends.”
Alternately, students may create their own original story or poem to submit outside of the offered topics. There are no fees to enter the New Mountain Voices Student Writing Contest, though only students who are residents of West Virginia are eligible to enter.
There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each of the three age groups, with 1st place winning $100, 2nd place $50 and 3rd place $25.
Winners will be announced June 11 in an awards ceremony during West Virginia Writers Annual Writers Conference, held at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley. All winners, including honorable mentions, will receive certificates suitable for framing.
For official contest entry forms, contest rules and the Frequently Asked Questions List concerning the contest, and a free podcast for download explaining the rules, visit the contest webpage at wvwriters.org/contest.html or email contest coordinator, Brittney Cassity, at wvwcontest@gmail.com.
West Virginia Writers, the largest writers’ organization in the state will celebrate its 39th Anniversary this year.
