Now in its second year, the Best in Rural Writing contest is accepting fiction and non fiction entries under 6,000 words.
Those interested in taking part have until September 30, 2024 to submit their work.
The contest is run by The Milk House, a literary journal based on rural writing, and co-sponsored by The Daily Yonder.
The contest will be judged by Dr. Chea Parton, founder of ‘Literary in Place’, which advocates for rural literacy by providing educational resources on writing and reading, as well as various initiatives for rural teens.
The first place entry in the best in rural writing contest will receive $500, while the runner-up will be awarded $200.
There is a $5 entry fee for every submission, all of which goes to next year’s prize pool. The contest is open to anyone in the world.
Last year’s shortlisted entries came from the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The short story ‘Rural Route One’ by Barbara Schmidt was the contest’s runner-up, the plot of which follows the daily routine of a U.S. mail carrier.
The overall winner of the 2023 best in rural writing contest was Laura Lewis with her essay ‘Leaving.’ It considers the complicated feelings of having to walk away from a farm that formed her identity.
“It was just the boost I needed to pull together a book I was working on about my experiences as a single woman farmer for 25 years in north Missouri. It is so wonderful to find a group of writers and readers from rural communities,” Laura said.
In addition to cash prizes, the winning entries will be promoted by The Milk House and The Daily Yonder, helping the authors find a larger audience.
10 shortlisted writers will also have the option to be published on The Milk House the following year.
The Milk House was founded by author Ryan Dennis with the mission to help bring more attention to the rural experience by highlighting fiction, non-fiction and poetry that explores what it means to be from the countryside.
The journal has published Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalists, as well as farmers writing for the first time, and has had original work longlisted for major prizes.
More details about the contest as well as the link to submit an entry, can be found on The Milkhouse website.
