UPDATE: Contest deadline has been extended to Monday, January 22! SUBMIT TODAY!
SABF launched its annual fiction contest today for students in 7th-12th grades living in Bexar County. This year’s story theme is “Mission: San Antonio” to coincide with the city’s Tricentennial celebrations. Students are asked to create a story of action, mystery, lessons learned, or history that could only exist in San Antonio. Full submission guidelines are available here.
Sponsored by the Texas Cavaliers, the Fiction Contest is a unique opportunity for young writers to showcase their creativity and win cash prizes. For the 2018 contest, the Cavaliers have increased their cash awards. First place winner of the three categories (7-8; 9-10 and 11-12 grades) will receive a $500 cash prize for themselves and an additional $500 for their school. First place winners will also be invited to ride on the Cavaliers’ float in the River Parade.
“We’re excited to be back as sponsors of the [Book] Festival’s Fiction Contest,” said Eric Reblin of the Texas Cavaliers. “The winning stories are always impressive and we can’t wait to read the stories that these bright students come up with about San Antonio.”
Second place winners will receive $250 and third place winners will receive $150. All nine of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will be recognized during an award ceremony at the 6th annual San Antonio Book Festival on April 7, 2018. The winning stories will be featured on the SABF website and other local publications. Submissions are being accepted via the online submission form until January 15, 2018.
“The Tricentennial will be a year of both celebration and reflection in San Antonio as we look back on 300 years of the city’s history,” said Katy Flato, executive director of SABF. “We wanted to give students a creative opportunity to participate in that. We hope our 2018 theme motivates students to speak to their family members to discover family stories that took place in our city. Celebrating personal history is just another way we can honor the Tricentennial.”
SABF staff encourages educators to incorporate the fiction contest into their curricula, if possible. While teachers and librarians can encourage story submissions, they can also recommend that students attend the Book Festival where they’ll be able to meet renowned authors and participate in fun activities at Geektown, the Festival’s dedicated space for teens.
The 6th annual SABF will take place on Saturday, April 7, 2018 from 9 am to 5 pm at the Central Library and Southwest School of Art. It is free and open to all. The Festival draws thousands for author presentations, panel discussions, book sales and signings, recipe demonstrations, children’s and teen activities, food trucks, and a vibrant marketplace. A schedule of all of the events will be available in March.
