New Works Competition

As part of the Hugo Literary Series, Richard Hugo House seeks previously unpublished poems, short stories and personal essays of no more than 1,500 words.

The theme is The End of the Line, and the winner will receive $500 and an invitation to read at the final Hugo Literary Series event on March 16, 2012 alongside authors Sam Lipsyte, Ben Lerner and Suzanne Morrison.  

Entries must be received by January 9, 2012.

The theme: All manuscripts must reflect the theme, The End of the Line, using the prompt below as a jumping point:

Sometimes the end of the line is easy to identify: the last station on the railway; a dying man’s final breath; “Going Out of Business” on the front door. But other endings are harder to define—are the effects of global warming still reversible? Will we recover from the current economic crisis? Can this troubled relationship be saved? Or in all these instances have we already crossed some invisible line that can’t be uncrossed? What does the end of the line look like, anyway? And how will we know it when we get there?

Submission Format: Five copies of the manuscript typed, double-spaced, pages numbered, in 12-point standard font. No name of author on entries; include cover page with name, address, phone, email, entry titles and genres. One cover page is sufficient for the five copies of your entry. SASE #10 for notification and SASE with sufficient postage if you would like manuscript returned.

Entry restrictions: The New Works Competitions are only open to residents of Washington state, Oregon, Idaho or Montana. [Please note: we do not provide transportation or lodging for winners.]

Entry fee: $10 (Cash or check payable to Richard Hugo House)

Submissions may be sent to Richard Hugo House, c/o New Works Competition, 1634 11th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122.

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