TORONTO, Jan. 5, 2024 /CNW/ – Do you wish that the story you are writing now or that you tucked away in a drawer a long time ago could soon be read by thousands of people across Canada?
If you do, then the 2024 Toronto Star Short Story Contest, one of the largest and longest running short story contests in North America, offers a chance 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.
Besides seeing 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 46th 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 programs at the Humber School for Writers, either the Creative Writing Graduate program, which has an approximate retail value of $3,695 or the Summer Workshop in Creative Writing, which has an approximate retail value of $1,550.
The second-place winner will receive a cash prize of $2,000 and the third-place winner will be awarded $1,000.
Starting Saturday, January 6, 2024, writers who live in Ontario can enter the contest. All submissions must be received by 5 p.m., Wednesday, February 28, 2024. The winners will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges.
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 Stories must be original, previously unpublished and no longer than 2,500 words.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 16th 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 14 years.
“The Toronto Star Short Story Contest is a special opportunity for writers across Ontario to share their stories for a chance to have them published,” says Vickery Bowles, Toronto Public Library’s City Librarian. “The Library is thrilled to support the contest again this year and encourages everyone to send in their submissions.”
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; Ali Hassan, moderator of CBC Radio’s annual Canada Reads competition; Richard Ouzounian, director and writer; and Anuja Varghese, a writer from Hamilton whose debut short story collection Chrysalis was awarded the 2023 Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction.Â
For full contest rules, please visit www.thestar.com/shortstory
About the Toronto Star:
The Toronto Star is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in Canada, with more than 5.0 million readers every week in print and online (thestar.com). Founded in 1892, the Toronto Star is the winner of more than 140 National Newspaper Awards, the most prestigious newspaper prize in Canada. It is known for its investigative reporting, insightful opinion writing and comprehensive coverage of local, national and international news. It has also been making a difference in the lives of children for more than 100 years through the Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund and the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund.
About Toronto Public Library:Â
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
For further information: Toronto Star, Bob Hepburn, Director of Communications, [email protected]; Toronto Public Library, [email protected]
