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Contest Details

To submit online, please visit qwf.submishmash.com/submit. You can download the entry form here:

Eligibility

The competition is open to those 18 years or older who have resided in Quebec for at least the last 6 months, with the following exceptions:

  • Employees of the CBC, of the contest sponsors, as well as such employees' immediate family (father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter) or persons living under the same roof.
  • Winners of the previous year's Quebec Writing Competition.


Requirements

  • Maximum length of text is 1,200 words.
  • Only original, unpublished texts (short story or creative non-fiction) will be accepted.
  • Entries can be submitted either online (via qwf.submishmash.com/submit) or by mail (to Quebec Writing Competition, c/o Quebec Writers' Federation, 1200, Atwater Avenue, Suite 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4)
  • Texts must be typewritten in English and double-spaced.
  • Each page must be numbered and include the title ONLY. DO NOT include author's name on the text pages.
  • Word counts are strictly enforced. They do not include the title of the work.
  • Mailed entries must include 4 copies of each text entered (bound separately by staples, no paperclips)
  • Fax submissions will not be accepted. 
  • An electronic copy of all shortlisted texts will be required in order to verify word count and for posting on the web.
  • In the event that a Submission is chosen for publication elsewhere before the winners are announced, the author must notify CBC (qwc@cbc.ca) or the QWF (julia@qwf.org) immediately and withdraw the Submission. 


Entries

  • Writers may submit as many texts as they wish.
  • Each submission must be accompanied by a completed entry formquebec writers and a $15 fee. 
  • Writers should send in final versions of texts only.
  • No revisions will be accepted once the text has been submitted.
  • Confirmation of receipt will only be issued for texts submitted online.
  • Texts will not be returned. 


Awards

  • There are three cash prizes: $1,500 for First Prize, $1,000 for Second Prize, and $300 for a "Reader's Choice" prize (as determined by the public).
  • The First Prize winner will be published in Maisonneuve magazine, and the texts of the other two prizewinners will be published on the Maisonneuve magazine website.
  • All three winning texts will be broadcast on CBC Radio's Cinq à Six.
  • All three winning texts, as well as the other finalists, will be published in an anthology from Véhicule Press and on the Canada Writes website.
  • The three winners will be honoured at the Quebec Writers' Federation's annual Literary Awards Gala, held in November 2013. 
  • Entrants remain owners of the copyright to their texts, subject to what is provided for in the contest regulations.


Fees

  • A fee of $15 must accompany each text entered. This non-refundable fee covers some of the administrative costs of this competition.
  • If submitting online, payment must be made by credit card or paypal via the submission site. 
  • If mailing your submission, include a cheque or money order payable to Quebec Writers' Federation.


Deadlines

  • All entries and payments must be postmarked on or before May 1st, 2013 at midnight (Eastern Standard Time).


See rules and regulations for complete details.