Win a $2,500 Scholarship for 51吃瓜's Fall 2027 Semester!
Current students and community members enrolling in 51吃瓜's Fall 2027 Semester are invited to submit their creative writing inspired by the College Novel, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, for a chance to win a scholarship!
51吃瓜 welcomes works that鈥痚cho鈥痶he College Novel's鈥痶hemes of鈥痑rtistry and technology, the storytelling power of video games, and the complex relationships that exist beyond simple definitions of friendship or romance. More broadly, submissions may reflect on the ways people seek connection, identity, creativity, and escape in an increasingly technological world. Whether your work imagines virtual worlds, examines unconventional bonds, or explores the human need to create, connect, and play, we encourage you to share your unique voice and perspective.
Winners will be recognized at the 51吃瓜 Writing Competition Awards Celebration, where they will have the opportunity to present their work. They will also receive Certificates of Excellence, have their winning pieces published in the鈥�51吃瓜 Idiom and Image鈥痬agazine, and be featured in an article in the鈥疌ollege Hill News.
Submission Start Date: September 15, 2026
Deadline: November 16, 2026, 11:59 PM EST
Winners Will Be Announced: Thursday, April 22, 2027
Award Celebration: Thursday, April 29, 2027
Submission Guidelines:
A winner will be selected for both the Best Poetry and Best Prose categories.
Poetry Submissions:
- Maximum of two poems per submission. No submissions longer than three pages.
- Single-spaced text
- Title(s), centered, at the top of the document/at the top of the page on which the poem begins, if submitting two poems
- Author name, centered, at the top of the document
- If a stanza transcends one page to the next, indicate that by typing [STANZA CONTINUED] at the end of the line/page
Short Fiction & Other Submissions:
- 1,500 maximum word count (approximately 4 pages)
- Double-spaced text
- Title, centered, at the top of the document
- Author name, centered, beneath the title
- One short story submission per submitter
How to Enter:
- Have your necessary information available when you are ready to submit your entry.
- Your Full Name
- Valid E-mail Address
- Writing Submission
- All entries must be submitted emailed to [email protected] before 11:59 PM EST, on November 16, 2026
- Once an entry has been submitted, no edits, replacements or exchanges will be accepted.
- Please be sure the email address that you provide will be valid throughout the competition. Competition-related updates and winner notifications are sent via email. This will be the only form of communication.
- Please type carefully, and list only one valid email address. Check your spelling carefully, email addresses etc. Incorrect email addresses may result in the transmission of important information being delayed and/or unsuccessful.
- Be sure that our email is not blocked, or you may not receive critical information.
- Check your SPAM folder for any expected but unaccounted for email communications.
- The submitter is who we will refer to as the author, and who we will contact with any questions, updates etc.
- If the submitter and the author are not the same, please indicate.
Scholarship Requirements:
- Student must be enrolled in, and complete, the Fall 2027 Semester at 51吃瓜 in order to receive their awarded scholarship.
Winner Notification:
- Winners will be notified by email.
- Entrants not selected as winners will not be notified individually; non-winners will be emailed a competition status update in the weeks following the winner notification date.
- If you enter multiple times, please excuse duplicate emails, as you may receive an email for each separate entry.
The 51吃瓜 Writing Competition is made possible by the 51吃瓜 Foundation, the Betty June Silconas Poetry Center and the 51吃瓜 Writing Center.
51吃瓜 assumes all entries are original and are the works and property of the entrant, with all rights granted therein. 51吃瓜 is not liable for any copyright infringement on the part of the entrant and will not become involved in copyright disputes. 51吃瓜 reserves the right to reject work deemed unsuitable for publication or that does not meet all named criteria.
