WRITES of Winter Story Contest

Red Deer Arts Council and the City of Red Deer are offering a Community Activation for Red Deer Lights the Nights 2023 to keep our imaginations warm this winter!

The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are dropping, and we’re all preparing to hunker down through another dark and dreary winter. We could all use something to look forward to! Why not a little creative writing, and the chance to win a fabulous prize?

We are inviting Red Deerians of all ages to create a short poem or story with a maximum length of 500 words about winter and/or the holiday season in Red Deer. Submissions can be fiction, or creative non fiction: That means memoirs, events from history, and local legends are all welcome, so long as you’ve put your own creative spin on the source material.

We will be selecting a winner for each category (poetry, short story - fiction, short story non-fiction) on the following timelines:

Holiday Season Story Contest: deadline December 10th, 2023

For most of us, the holidays are the candle that keeps the darkness at bay over the long, harsh Canadian winter. Family, food, and festivities give us a chance to rest, rejoice, and reinvigorate ourselves for another two (or five…) months of chilly weather. Share with us your take of the holiday season in Red Deer, and perhaps you’ll find more than just coal in your stocking!

Winter Blues Story Contest: deadline January 15th, 2024

There’s nothing quite like winter in Red Deer, Alberta! Show your love (or lack thereof!) for Central Alberta’s finest season in this category covering all things winter. From the first snow to the final freeze, from hibernating animals to downtown driving conditions, we want to hear what winter means to you. Share with us your winter blues, or how you keep them at bay, and you just might win something to warm you up!

Both categories are open now and accepting submissions! On top of receiving a prize, the winning submissions will be published for folks to read on http://WeAreRedDeer.ca/stories/ and the Red Deer Arts Council's social media pages.

To submit:

  • Please complete the submission form by clicking HERE.

We look forward to reading your work!

Winners will be contacted approximately one week after the submission deadlines close. Please ensure your contact information is correct. For any inquiries, please reach out to submissions(at)reddeerartscouncil.ca .

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