Toronto Star and Toronto Public Library Launch 2023 Short Story Contest
TORONTO, Jan. 6, 2023 /CNW/ - Do you wish that the story you are working on now or that you tucked away in a drawer a long time ago could soon be read by people across Canada?
If you do, then the 2023 Toronto Star Short Story Contest offers you a perfect opportunity to show your skills as a writer and possibly see your story printed in the largest newspaper and appear on one of the most visited websites in Canada.
The contest winner will see their story published in the Toronto Star and on its website, thestar.com. The winner will also have the chance to study with some of the best creative writing teachers in the country.
The contest, now in its 45th year, also carries one of the biggest prizes in Canada for a short story contest, with the first-place winner receiving $5,000, plus the tuition fee for one of two great programs at the Humber School for Writers, either the Creative Writing Graduate Certificate program, which has an approximate retail value of $3,670 or the Summer Workshop in Creative Writing, which has an approximate retail value of $1,450.
In addition, the second-place winner receives a cash prize of $2,000 and the third-place winner is awarded $1,000.
Starting Saturday, January 7, 2023, writers who live in Ontario can enter the contest, which is one of the largest in North America. The winners will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges.
The annual contest, which attracts hundreds of entries each year, launches Saturday, January 7, 2023. All submissions must be received by 5 p.m., Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
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 Stories must be original, previously unpublished and no longer than 2,500 words.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 15th 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 13 years.
"Once again, the Library is proud to support this incredible contest," says Vickery Bowles, Toronto Public Library's City Librarian. "This is a wonderful opportunity for writers and storytellers to have their creative work recognized. We are always inspired by the wide range and diversity of submissions, and we encourage writers across Ontario to share their unique stories."
A Humber School for Writers panel will read all the entries and narrow the submissions to a short list of 20-25 stories. The winners will be selected from the short list by a panel of distinguished judges, including Vickery Bowles; Deborah Dundas, books editor for the Toronto Star; Adnan Khan, award-winning Toronto-based novelist, essayist and screenwriter; Tamara Faith Berger, Canadian author and novelist; and Richard Ouzounian, director and writer.
For full contest rules, please visit www.thestar.com/shortstory.
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.
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, [email protected]; Toronto Public Library, [email protected]
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