Toronto Star and Toronto Public Library Launch 2022 Short Story Contest

TORONTO, Jan. 7, 2022 /CNW/ - What's the perfect ending to any story?

Being published!

If that's one of your goals as a writer, then the 2022 Toronto Star Short Story Contest offers you the chance to see your story published in the largest newspaper and on one of the most-visited websites in Canada and to study with some of the best creative writing teachers in the country. 

Starting Saturday, January 8, writers who live in Ontario can enter the contest, one of the largest in North America. All submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

The contest, now in its 44^th year, carries one of biggest prizes in Canada for a short story contest, with the first-place winner receiving $5,000, plus their choice of either the tuition fee for the two-semester creative writing graduate certificate correspondence program at the Humber School for Writers, which has an approximate value of $3,650, or a summer workshop in creative writing, which has an approximate value $1,300.

In addition, the second-place winner receives a cash prize of $2,000 and the third-place winner gets $1,000.

The contest is open to all Ontario residents 16 years of age or older. Entrants can write on any topic they want. Stories must be original, previously unpublished and no longer than 2,500 words. Entries are limited to one for each person.

This is the 13th consecutive year that Toronto Public Library has been a partner with the Star in presenting the contest. The Humber School for Writers has been a partner for the past 12 years.

"The Library is thrilled to support this contest again this year," says Toronto Public Library's City Librarian Vickery Bowles. "During challenging times, writing can help us express ourselves, tell our stories, and connect us through our shared experiences. We encourage writers and storytellers all across Ontario to submit their unique and original short stories."

A panel of judges from the Humber School for Writers will read all the entries and narrow the submissions to a short list of 20-25 stories. Winners will then be selected from the short list by a panel of distinguished judges, including Vickery Bowles; Ann Y.K. Choi, an author and educator; Adnan Khan, a novelist and journalist; Deborah Dundas, Toronto Star books editor; and Richard Ouzounian, former Star theatre critic and author of six books.

Winners will be announced in April and their stories will be published in the Toronto Star, Canada's largest newspaper and on thestar.com, one of the most-visited websites in the country.

For full contest rules, please visit www.thestar.com/shortstory.

About the Toronto Star:

The Toronto Star, founded in 1892, is read in print and online (thestar.com) by 5.0 million readers every week. The Toronto Star is part of the Torstar Group's Daily News Brands, which includes The Hamilton Spectator, Waterloo Region Record, St. Catharines Standard, Niagara Falls Review, Peterborough Examiner as well as Toronto.com and The Kit, a fashion and beauty publication.

About Toronto Public Library:

Toronto Public Library is the world's busiest urban public library system, with more than 46 million annual visits to our branches and online. We empower Torontonians to thrive in the digital age and knowledge economy through easy access to technology, lifelong learning, and diverse cultural and leisure experiences, where, when and how our customers need us. To learn more, visit tpl.ca, email Answerline at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to email updates.

SOURCE Toronto Star

Bob Hepburn, Director, Community Relations and Communications, Toronto Star, [phone], [email protected]; Toronto Public Library, [email protected]