Words for a Win

Short Story Contest

Contest Closed!

Congratulations to our winner, Jaime Mellott!

Telek Rogan

Telek only knows two things for sure: She has yet to find a way to enjoy eating brussel sprouts, and there are simply not enough ways to express herself artistically. So instead of trying to figure out the way that feels the best, she is constantly indulging her creative impulses! So far she hasn't destroyed anything important (except her sleep schedule), and every once in a while she gets an awesome opportunity to share her creations with others!

MEET OUR FINALISTS!

MEET OUR FINALISTS!

Linda Leon

Linda Leon is a visual artist, a theatre artist and a writer who has lived in Whitehorse for over fifteen years. As a creative person, Linda responds to the influences around her. Her short stories are born of life observations. Some of them have to do with our uneasy relationship to the naturalworld.Linda brings an unusual sense of humour to all of her work. Whether this is a result of her misadventures in live theatre or whether she is just naturally attracted to the dramatic, is still under debate. She often comments that she is just trying to find her light. Linda Leon graduated with a BFA from the School of Art, University of Manitoba in 1974. She is an award-winning stage designer and a member of Associated Designers of Canada. She has been a member of Yukon Artists @ Work Gallery since 2010.

Jaime Mellott

Jaime Mellott (she/her) lives in Whitehorse with her husband, teenagers, and big, hairy dog.

Jaime co-founded the Artists Legal Outreach, which provides free legal advice to artists. For her pro-bono work, Jaime was awarded Pro-Bono Lawyer of the Year (Solicitor’s Roster).  Jaime has performed a number of original works at storytelling events in Victoria, Pender Island, and Whitehorse.

Yukon Words is pleased to announce our first writing contest! Write a short story of between 500 and 2000 words about anything you want. Truth or fiction, humour or horror, Yukon-specific or set in outer space. We want to read it!

Words for a Win is a 50/50 short story competition open to anyone living in the Yukon or Atlin, BC. The winner will receive 50% of all submission fees (the other 50% goes towards administering the contest) plus a chance to present their work at the Yukon Words Festival in November, 2024.

Guidelines

Short Story
We are looking for short stories on any subject, between 500 and 2000 words, in English. The short story should be an original, unpublished, typed piece of writing, created without the use of generative AI tools. Simultaneous submissions are allowed.

Submission
Submit your short story by email to yukonwordssociety@gmail.com no later than 4pm Yukon Standard Time on September 15, 2024. We welcome electronic submissions only. Once sent, you will not be able to revise your submission.

Entry Fee
Along with your submission, please submit an entry fee of $10 by etransfer to yukonwordssociety@gmail.com. If you submit your entry fee using a different email than the one used to submit your short story, please state this in your submission.

Anonymity
Do not list your name, email, address, or any other identifying detail in your short story or its file name. Your name must be on your email. The administrator will then assign a unique number to your submission. This allows the jury to review all submissions anonymously.

One Entry Per Person
Only one short story may be submitted per person.

Eligibility
The contest is open to anyone living in the Yukon or Atlin, BC, who is 19 years or older.

Formatting
Submissions should be double-spaced in 12-point font. Accepted file types are .pdf, .doc and .docx.

Decisions
Entries will be judged solely on artistic merit. Decisions of the jury are final.

Responses
We cannot commit to providing any feedback on submissions.

Announcement
The winner will be announced in October and will be invited to present their work at the Yukon Words Festival in November. In addition, they will receive 50% of all submission fees received. The other 50% will go towards administering the contest.

Diversity
While submissions are anonymous, we want to ensure a diversity of applications from across the Yukon. Give us your unique thoughts. Express your magical, colourful self. Diversity is appreciated and encouraged at Yukon Words.

About Us
Yukon Words is devoted to supporting and promoting the word arts in Yukon, Canada. We are a not-for-profit cultural organization that represents, supports, and promotes Yukon writers, storytellers, and word artists at all levels and in all disciplines. We welcome, build, and connect an inclusive community of readers and audiences, and hope to foster wide public access to and participation in Yukon writing and storytelling arts and industries in all forms.

Meet the Judges

  • Antoinette GreenOliph

    Antoinette was born on the island of Tobago and as far back as she can remember she read recipe books for fun. Food was definitely her first love. But it’s not her only love: the theatre captured her imagination for how it can transport us to look into other people’s lives, witness their trials and tribulations, and rejoice in their triumphs. In recent years, Antoinette developed a storytelling series, Anto’s Real Stories, that she paired with a multi-course menu at her restaurant in Whitehorse, culminating in a “50 years – 50 bites” celebration of realness, strength and what she calls sticktoitness. This passion project led to a performance during the 2020 Pivot Theatre Festival, Stories from the Mango Stump. In 2021, she won a role as snowmobile-driving, body-disposing, bad-ass Morad in Polaris, an award-winning post-apocalyptic feature now streaming on Crave. In 2023, she was the lead in David Lindsay-Abaire ‘s play Ripcord, for a 3-week run at the Guild Hall.

  • Norah Paton

    Norah Paton works in the arts in many roles. She’s written plays about falling in love with Stephen Harper, Burning Man and how to roll a joint, among other things. She currently spends most of her time as Nakai's Managing Producer. More at norahpaton.com.

  • Sharon Shorty

    Sharon Shorty is a Yukon storyteller and comedian of Tlingit, Northern Tutchone and Norwegian ancestry. Sharon is part of a comedy duo with Duane Aucoin. The act 'Gramma Susie' was created in 1996 as a homage to her grandmas Carrie and Jessie. She was named 'funniest human in the North' by Up Here Magazine in 2013. Sharon is also a recipient of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.