The 2010 Pen Parentis Writing Fellowship for New Parents:
Summary:
In addition to a full year of promotion, a $1000 prize will be presented to the Pen Parentis Writing Fellow at a public reading of the winning work of fiction in a stunning literary location on September 14, 2010 in Manhattan. Entrants must be the parent of at least one child under 10 years of age, but there are no style or genre limitations on the fiction submitted for consideration.
Guidelines:
Submissions are by postal mail only and call for a new, never-published fiction story—any genre, on any subject—of up to 1200 words (typed double-spaced on 8 ½ x 11 paper in Times New Roman 12 point or similar font, with one inch margins). Do not put author’s name on this manuscript. Do put the title of the story and the word count.
Please retype the title of the story and word count on a removable cover page along with author’s name, full contact information, and age of author’s child(ren). Financial status and hardship stories do not aid your application. Judging is blind. The contest will seek submissions starting March 1, and end the submission period April 17 (postmark deadline).
Judging is blind and based only on the following criteria: 1) adherence to contest rules, 2) creativity, 3) narrative arc, 4) emotional truth, and 5) elements of surprise, humor and/or depth of meaning. All genres and styles are welcome. Simultaneous submissions ok, but notify if published elsewhere. Multiple submissions ok, but separate entry fee for each submission. Entry fees will not be refunded. Entry is $15, payable by check attached to the manuscript. Make checks to PEN PARENTIS.
Mail entries to: Pen Parentis Writing Fellowship for New Parents, 176 Broadway, Ste. 14F, New York, NY, 10038. You may include a stamped, self-addressed postcard if you wish receipt to be acknowledged. No SASE required as manuscripts will not be returned.
Winner will be announced on the Pen Parentis website and by email or phone to the winning author on August 1, 2010. Please make sure that author contact information includes either email or phone.
Prize:
One winning author will be showcased for one year on our website as the “Pen Parentis Writing Fellow,” a new emergent author worthy of notice. The Fellow will receive a public showcase of the winning new work in a stunning literary location in New York City, paired with an established author who may function as inspiration and guide. Winner also receives $1000, presented at the Pen Parentis Literary Salon on September 14th, 2010, in conjunction with the reading of the winning work. Pen Parentis will publicize this reading for the author and will provide author with any press clips that mention author’s name. Pen Parentis encourages, but does not require, attendance to subsequent readings at the Libertine Library in order to 1) be introduced to other authors and 2) network with prospective editors, agents, and readers. Finally, Pen Parentis will feature the winner on our website for one year, updating his/her accomplishments to the community, and will link to their author website, if any, and will promote the author when he/she attends regular Pen Parentis author salon events.
Purpose:
In accordance with the mission of Pen Parentis to provide resources to authors who are also parents, The Pen Parentis Writing Fellowship for New Parents will:
- Allow us to reach out to more authors who have children
- Inspire many authors to create new work, the best of which will be presented in public
- Give hope to all writers who have kids, that their efforts to balance family and art can be valued in the same way as an author who has “given up everything” for art.
- Show appreciation for the creation of new work by offering the winning work a significant cash award.
- Connect a promising new writer to an established writer who can provide valuable wisdom in keeping this writer on creative track
- Introduce a new writer to the writing community
- Present new work to an appreciative New York City audience
- Publish the winning entry as well as (up to) three runners-up on a website that has international accessibility
- Promote the winning author for one year on our website.
- Follow up with the winning author, to ensure that they continue to produce new work even after the contest ends
- Possibly connect this new author to an agent or editor
Important note:
Entrants must be the parent of at least one child under 10 yrs old. While we accept submissions from anywhere, contestants are advised that there is no travel budget. All contestants must be responsible for their own transportation costs to the reading location in Manhattan.
Sponsors:
Pen Parentis is generously supported by the Thompson Hotel chain, General Growth Properties (The Seaport), Fractured Atlas, The Libertine at Gild Hall, Borders Bookstore, and individual donors. The Pen Parentis Reading Series is made possible in part with public funds from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Our author events are also funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. with public funds from The New York State Council of the Arts, a state agency.
Use this link to become a sponsor! Your donation using this link is tax deductible to the full extent of the law and allows Pen Parentis to sponsor emergent authors and promote new works of literature. This is not a payment link for the contest. Entry fees must be submitted as per contest rules.
via penparentis.org