2017 JESSAMYN WEST CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST

It’s our pleasure to announce the results of the 2017 Jessamyn West Creative Writing Contest. This year’s winners are as follows:

Announcing the Winners in Fiction- Peg Alford Pursell, Fiction Judge
3rd Prize: “Searching” by Kevin Rebultan
2nd Prize: “Hazy Napa Valley” by Jim McDonald
1st Prize: “God’s Face” by Gabriel Narciso

Announcing the Winners in Poetry - Dean Rader, Poetry Judge
Honorable Mention: “Stars” by Jacqueline Viernes
3rd Prize: “Old Joy” by Erika Gottl
2nd Prize: “Arctic Spring Along the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline” by Erika Gottl
1st Prize: “Rothko #207” by Jim McDonald

Announcing the Winners in Nonfiction - Lisa Michaels, Nonfiction Judge
3rd Prize: “English Teachers” by Dina Corcoran
2nd Prize: “Spaghetti and Meatballs” by Virginia Meyer
1st Prize: “Four Years in the Making” by Sierra Smith

Announcing the Winners in the Art Contest - Amanda Badgett, NVC Art History Professor and Chelsea Gilmore, NVC Studio Arts Instructor, Art Judges
Honorable Mentions: Anahi Fregoso, Jim McDonald, Miguel Oseguera, Ashley Pascua
1st Prize: “Uptown World” by Nicolai Sholders

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The English Department of Napa Valley College invites unpublished works of short fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction for the 2017 Jessamyn West Creative Writing Contest. First, second and third place winners will be selected in each of the three categories. A first prize of $150, a second prize of $100, and a third prize of $50 will be awarded in each of the three categories. All winners will have their work published in the 2017 Jessamyn West Creative Writing Contest Anthology (medium to be determined). In addition, winners will receive free entry to all public events, including craft lectures and readings, at the 2017 Napa Valley Writers’ Conference (July 23-28). The contest is open to all Napa Valley College students enrolled in classes on a full or part-time basis during the last twelve months.

The deadline for receipt of entries is Friday, April 7. Entries will be screened by the English Department with final judging done by professional writers from outside the college. All manuscripts must adhere to the following guidelines:

Participants may enter a maximum of one story, one essay, and five poems. All entries must be typed in a standard 12- point font and should be original and previously unpublished works.

Fiction and Non-Fiction: Entries should be typed, double-spaced with 1” or 1 ½” margins and should not exceed twenty pages.

Poetry: Poets may enter a maximum of five poems or five pages of typed poetry.
To clarify: There should be no more than one poem per page and no more than one column of poetry on a page even if the lines are skinny enough to fit two columns side by side. If one or more poems are longer than one page, the total number of poems must be reduced so that the entire manuscript is no more than five pages. Complete an entry form for each poem.

Your name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript itself.

Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Follow all formatting guidelines for submissions. Email your submissions as a MS-Word attachment along with the completed entry form for each entry. Links to any online document storage such as Google Docs, OneDrive, or Dropbox, will not be accepted. Email electronic submissions to gstofan@napavalley.edu.

Entry form is available below.
 

Submissions must be received by April 7th

 in order to be eligible.

Manuscripts that do not follow the formatting guidelines or that do not have a completely filled out entry form with complete information will be disqualified.

Results will be announced in early May, and an awards reception and reading will be held in the Community Room at Napa Valley College on Tuesday, May 9, 3:00-5:00 pm. For further information, please contact Carlene Coury, writing contest coordinator at carlenecoury@yahoo.com or Gina Stofan, the division secretary at 256-7726 or gstofan@napavalley.edu.  

2017 Napa Valley College Jessamyn West
Creative Writing Contest Entry Form