Contest runs May 1 to 31
Do you have a story to tell? Then, get ready to share your talents with us! Burlington Public Library's annual writing contest is open to everyone ages 10 and up, including adults.
We start accepting submissions of your unpublished and original short stories, poems, and comics on May 1. Entries must be received by midnight on May 31, to be eligible for judging.
Burlington Public Library stands by the basic principles of intellectual freedom and the open exchange of information. The writing contest is an open forum for writers to express their ideas and creativity.
Contest Theme: Whisper
A whisper can be many things—a secret between friends, a warning in the dark, a piece of advice that changes everything, or even the sound of the wind through the trees. Some whispers are kind, others mysterious, and some can be scary!
Your Challenge
Write a short story, poem, or comic that revolves around a whisper—whether it’s spoken, heard, or imagined. Your submission must include the word "whisper" or show the idea of a whisper in your artwork.
Ideas to Inspire You
No matter how you interpret it, your story, poem, or comic should make the reader feel the power of a whisper. To help ignite your imagination, here are a few examples of how a whisper could be part of a story:
- Mystery: A detective overhears a whisper that leads to an unexpected clue.
- Scary: A ghostly whisper echoes through an old house.
- Friendship & Family: A whispered promise between best friends.
- Fantasy & Adventure: A magical creature whispers a riddle that unlocks a hidden world.
- Historical or Realistic: A whisper spreads through a crowd, carrying news that changes lives.
Let your whisper be heard!
Judging
One winning short story, poem, and comic will be selected in each age group: children 10-12, teens 13-17, and adults 18+. Each winner will receive a $100 cash prize.
Contest Details
We want this contest experience to be a good one for you, so please take the time to read and follow all the contest rules and requirements.
Here are the general contest rules, mandatory requirements for entries to qualify for judging, and specific requirements for each type of entry category: short story, poem, and comics.
General Rules
- Entrants must live, work, or attend school in Burlington.
- All entries must be unpublished, original work of the entrant.
- Fanfiction, retellings, or work based on existing stories, video games, movies, and other media will be disqualified.
- You may submit only one entry per category. If you submit two or more entries in the same category, we will accept the first submission by timestamp and disqualify the other submissions.
- Entry must be complete, and not a fragment of a larger work.
- Entries are judged anonymously; do not put your name anywhere on your work.
- By entering this contest, you permit BPL to use your name for promotional purposes, including the Library’s print, visual, or electronic/online media.
- All finalist and winning entries will be reviewed for plagiarism.
Rules on AI Use
We recognize AI tools can be useful when revising writing. Contest participants are only allowed to use AI for technical assistance such as correcting grammar or enhancing word choice. Using generative AI is not permitted to produce ideas, or create writing or art. On the contest entry form, you must acknowledge if, how, and when you used AI in your work.
Mandatory Entry Requirements
In order to qualify for judging, your entry MUST:
- Include the theme word for the 2025 contest: "Whisper;"
- NOT include your name anywhere on your work; and,
- NOT exceed the maximum length requirement for the category
An entry will be disqualified from the contest if any one of the above three conditions is not met.
Category Requirements
Please make sure your submission follows the formatting guidelines and appropriate category requirements.
Formatting
- For comics: Use 8½" x 11" paper and submit as flat work and not as a booklet.
- The text must be black, 12 pt type in Arial font.
- Title must be on the first page of the work only.
- Number the pages.
Short Story
- Maximum 1,000 words
- Must be a .doc or .docx file format.
- Do not include title pages or images.
Poem
- Maximum 25 lines
- Must be a .doc or .docx file format.
- Do not include title pages or images.
Comics
- Maximum 8 pages
- Work can be with or without words, in black and white or colour.
- If words are used, must include the contest theme word.
- If words are not used, the theme must be represented in the artwork.
- Computer-generated images are acceptable if they are original works (no clip art).
- Submit as a PDF.
How to Submit Your Entry
Access to the contest entry form starts on May 1. The form closes at midnight on May 31.
Please be aware we will only accept a digital—not handwritten or typewritten—copy of your work. If you need help creating a digital copy of your work, please ask library staff for assistance using a library computer.