Big Write

The Big Write

The Galesburg Public Library’s Annual Creative Writing Contest

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library

Part of Galesburg Public Library’s NEA Big Read of Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Congratulations to the 2020 winners! Click here to see the list.

NOTE: The 2020 reception has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 crisis. Thank you to everyone who entered, to our judges, and to the Friends of the Library for sponsoring the prizes.

The deadline for the 2020 contest was Monday, March 2, 2020 at 11:59 pm.

Submission Guidelines: 

(A paper copy of the Submission Guidelines can be picked up at the library’s Reference Desk starting in January.)

Three categories of submissions are being accepted:

• Short Stories
• Nonfiction essays (for adults only)
• Poetry and song lyrics

Submissions will be grouped into four levels:

• Adult
• High School
• Middle School
• 3rd through 5th Grade

Cash Prizes!

Up to three winners in each age group and category will be awarded prizes of $10 to $25.

• All submissions must be the original and creative work of the person submitting them and should have been written within the last year.
• Each contestant may submit up to two short stories and two poems. Adults may also submit up to two nonfiction essays.
• The submissions do not have to be written exclusively for the Big Write; they may be submitted to other contests.
• No information identifying the entrant may be included on any pages except the cover page. The cover page should include the contestant’s name, street address, email address if available, and phone number if available. The cover page should also specify the contestant’s level (adult, high school, middle school, or 3rd-5th grade).
• Short stories (and nonfiction essays for adults only) must be typed in 12 point type and can be no longer than 8 pages double-spaced.
• Poems and stories submitted electronically may be published in a local newspaper or online. Submission indicates your permission for the entry to be published. No short stories or poems will be returned.
• Writers can reside outside the Galesburg/Knox County area.

The submission deadline is 11:59 pm on Monday, March 2, 2020.

Materials may be emailed to bigwrite@galesburglibrary.org, dropped off in person at the library, or emailed to Writing Contest, Galesburg Public Library, 40 E. Simmons St., Galesburg, Il 61401. Electronic submissions are preferred. Contest winners only will be notified in the middle of April. A list of winners will be available at the library.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Galesburg Public Library, the 2020 Big Write is part of Galesburg Public Library’s NEA Big Read of Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. For more information about The Big Write or The Big Read, call 309-343-6118 or email reference@galesburglibrary.org.