Supporting Emerging Writers
We partner with the Rotary Club of Stratford to support emerging writers, indie authors and literacy in an annual Short Story Contest where winners are announced during the Stratford Writers Festival each October.
Writers of all citizenships may enter multiple submissions and there is no fee to enter or submit. There are two categories in which you can submit your story: Teen (Age 19 and under) with a cash prize up to $300 and Adult (Age 20 and over) with a cash prize up to $500.
Rotary Stratford Short Story Contest winners receive plaques and cash prizes.
The FREE Short Story Contest winners celebration is hosted at the Festival where the Rotary Club of Stratford presents cash prizes to the various winners followed by photos, sandwiches and refreshments. View the past winners to see if you know someone on the list!
Youth Category
Winner: Tristin Barker, Fowl Play
Second Prize: Kitsch, Stalked Emma
Third Prize Tie: Elysha Vorstenbosch, The Reserve
Third Prize Tie: Beatrice Marks, The Mouse
Honourable Mention: Jole Horn, Yammabunki: Rebooted
Adult Category
Winner: Tristan Marajh, Taste of Memory
Second Prize: David Simon, Treetown
Third Prize Tie: Laura Leavens, Dark Choices In A Remote Evergreen Forest
Third Prize Tie: Gloria Bishop, One Moment in Time
Honourable Mentions:
Joseph Pelletier-Doyle, Disaster at the Flushing County Festival of Frozen Pipes
Kevin Craig, Helen Finds Her Way To After
Youth Category
Winner: Gareth Arturo Marks, The Library
Second Prize: Emma Lim, Here Be Dragons
Third Prize Tie: Elysha Vorstenbosch, Trapped
Honourable Mentions:
Maia Stephan, Missing In Action
Maria Guo, Cracked
Penny Duran, 3 stories
Adult Category
Winner: Sharon Overend, Driveway Weeds
Second Prize: Connie L. Cook, For The Love of Sweet Rose
Third Prize Tie: Denise Beaton, Birds On A Wire
Honourable Mentions:
Helen Mary Orr, Sunshine On A Cloudy Day
Richard Arthur Hundey, Guilty
Chris Vetterli, Spiritus Culina
Alan Macleod, Two Pianos
Youth Category
Makenna Wormington, Time Of Your Life
Penelope (Penny) Duran, The Gauntlet
Penelope (Penny) Duran, Always Present
Penelope (Penny) Duran, Collage
Amie Aubie, Ten Letter Word
Maia Stephan, Missing in Action
Gareth Arturo Marks, The Library
Emma Lim, Here be Dragons
Anna Klassen, This Is It
Amy Bradley, Sisters Before Misters
Maria Guo, Cracked
Kristin Vleeming, Trapped
Adult Category
Denise Beaton, Birds on a Wire
Sharon Overend, Driveway Weeds
Lindsey Anstett, The People We Think We Know
Richard Arthur Hundey, Guilty
Alan Macleod, Two Pianos
Gloria C Bishop, The Symptom or The Disease
David M. Simon, Snipe Hunt
Connie L Cook, For The Sake Of Sweet Rose
Chris Vetterli, Spiritus Culina
Helen Mary Orr, Sunshine on a Cloudy Day