Photo: Brayden Ursel

Sharpen those pencils because a writers festival is officially open for submissions in Kelowna.

The Wine Country Writers Festival is back for the fourth annual writers contest, inviting writers to share their best fiction, non-fiction and poetry pieces for an opportunity to be published and win cash prizes.

“Thanks to the support of sponsor Raven’s Oddities, the WCWF Festival Society is able to boost the prize
money available for the writing contest,” said Faye Arcand, society board co-chair.

The first-place winner in each category will win $200, in addition to entry to the upcoming Wine Country
Writers Festival in September.

Second place winners will receive $100, and third place winners will receive $5, with all winners being included in the WCWF Writing Contest anthology.

Judges include: (Fiction) Steena Holmes, New York Times- and USA Today-bestselling author with nearly three million copies of her titles sold worldwide, (Non-Fiction) Jennifer Landels, Managing Editor of Pulp Literature Press and (Poetry) Carol Rose GoldenEagle, author and poet who was named Saskatchewan’s ninth poet laureate.

The Wine Country Writers Festival Writing Contest says thy have been recognized internationally as being among the top writing contests by Reedsy for the last three years in a row.

The contest is open to writers and poets over the age of 18 worldwide. Established and emerging writers are welcome to submit. Submissions must be in English and must not have been previously published. Entry costs $15, or $25 for two simultaneous submissions.

The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.

Enter here.