UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Now open for submissions through Friday, Nov. 1, Penn State University Libraries Short Stories’ fourth writing contest challenges all Penn State students, faculty and staff University-wide to unleash their creativity to submit original creative writing on the theme "Brunchin’ Around."
For many, brunch is an important weekend tradition — it's a meal that combines the best of breakfast and lunch together, often spanning many hours. We at the University Libraries want to know what happens during brunch, or the results of a lively brunch discussion. Show us the many ways brunch can play a role in your submission. For example, what would brunch look like in space? Or a brunch in the wilderness? Brunch with strangers you just met? What about a never-ending brunch? Let your imagination run wild with this prompt.
Submit your best short story or poem that includes brunch as either the setting or an element of your submission. Submission lengths are as follows: Short-story submissions should not exceed 8,500 characters, including spaces; and poetry submissions should not exceed 6,000 characters.
Submit your work before Nov. 1 to be considered. Stories and poems accepted by our editorial board will be published on our Short Edition website on Monday, Nov. 4, until Friday, Nov. 8, and the public is encouraged to vote for their favorites during this time. Five winners will be chosen from across the commonwealth and each will win $100 and have their story or poem published on the Libraries' short-story dispensers. Honorable mentions will also be chosen, and their stories or poems also published on the 10 Penn State campus Short Edition short-story dispensers.
Penn State Libraries short-story dispensers at the University Park campus can be found at:
- Paterno Library entrance
- Pattee Library mall entrance
- Grange Building entrance at Pollock Road
- Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library, 201 Davey Lab
In addition, Penn State Libraries short-story dispensers also are at, or near:
- Schlow Centre Region Library, State College, Pennsylvania
- Penn State Abington College Library
- John M. Lilley Library at Penn State Behrend
- Berks Thun Library at Penn State Berks
- John D. Vairo Library at Penn State Brandywine
- Penn State Harrisburg Library
For more information about the "Brunchin’ Around" writing contest, visit psu.short-edition.com. Questions about the Libraries Short Stories writing contests, the Libraries Short Stories online platform, or short-story dispensers’ curricular or co-curricular use can be directed to Student Engagement Librarian Hailley Fargo at hmf14@psu.edu.