Department of English & Visual Art

Creative Writing Contest

Attention high school students! Submit original creative work for a chance to participate in a college writing workshop, give a public reading, and receive an award!

Instructions for Participating

By October 1, 2025:

Click on 'Register Now!' below to submit one or both of the following:

an original work of fiction or creative nonfiction, with a maximum 1500 words, that engages with the supernatural

and/or

an original poem, with a maximum of 24 lines, that describes and reflects on an athletic or physically artistic performance (e.g., football, gymnastics, softball, track and field, dance)

Register Now!

What to Expect After Submitting Your Work

Mid-October:

Submissions will be judged by Westminster faculty and students. Judges will evaluate each submission on its ability to avoid cliché and make its subject seen, heard, and felt.

On or before October 20, 2025:

The top three winners in each genre will be notified via email from english@westminster.edu. Based on the genre of their submission, finalists will be invited to participate in a workshop session of WRI 359: Writing the Supernatural (meets Tuesday/Thursday, 9:20–10:50 a.m.) or WRI 360: Sports Writing (meets Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 12:50-1:50 p.m.). Lunch will be provided.

Thursday, November 20 at 6:00 p.m. on Westminster's campus:

Public Reading and Awards Ceremony. Authors of the top three scoring works in each genre will give a public reading of their work alongside Westminster students. The first-place winner in each genre will be presented with the James Ashbrook Perkins Creative Writing Award.

In Memoriam

Dr. James Ashbrook Perkins taught English, writing, and public relations at Westminster College from 1973 until his retirement in 2008. During that time, he served as department chair, won the Distinguished Faculty Award, earned four NEH fellowships, was a Visiting Fulbright Professor in Korea, and published widely as a poet, short ciction writer, and literary critic.

Questions? Reach out to Dr. Kristianne Kalata, English Department Chair, at kalatak@westminster.edu