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Texas Book Festival 12th Annual Fiction Contest

Texas Book Festival, in partnership with the University Interscholastic League, announces its 12th annual Fiction Writing Contest, sponsored by Kirkus Reviews, to encourage and reward creative writing in Texas schools. This year's fiction writing contest theme is "From the Back of the Truck." Texas junior and high school students (grades 7-12) are invited to submit a piece of original fiction, no more than 2,000 words in length.

Entries must be submitted online no later than July 27, 2013. Submitted entries are considered in three divisions: grades 7-8; grades 9-10; and grades 11-12. There is no entry fee, and schools are limited to three entries per division. The submissions will be judged by educators, authors, and community leaders. Judges will look for excellence in use of dialogue, character development, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution.

Winners will receive a cash prize: $250 for first place, $100 for second, and $50 for third. In addition, first place winners will be awarded a plaque, will have their stories published on the TBF website, and will be invited to participate on a panel during the Texas Book Festival weekend Oct. 26-27. The Book Festival will provide accommodations for the first-place winners and their family for one night.

We will begin accepting entries on May 1, 2013.



2012 Contest Winners

7th-8th Grade Winners
First Place: Sophie Radke for her short story "Forget-me-not"
Second Place: McKenan Bundy for his short story "Out of the Blue"
Third Place: Vanessa Aguirre for her short story "Soft Gray"

9th-10th Grade Winners
First Place: Cari Weinheimer for her short story "Reaching the Surface"
Second Place: Karlie Wilson for her short story "The Storm"
Third Place: Tristan Reed for his short story "The Unknown"

11th – 12th Grade Winners
First Place: Grace Li for her short story "A Methane Red Sky"
Second Place: Emily Weber for her short story "The Cure"
Third Place: Marissa Nevills for her short story "Aison and the Basilisk"

View past winners and their stories.

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