18 May BART Announces Short Story Contest

(Image courtesy of BART)

By Bay City News

A BART short story contest, “BART Lines,” opens June 1 to authors ages 18 and up with a mailing address in one of the five counties where BART operates: San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara.

The contest will be part of BART’s 50th anniversary celebration and is meant to highlight the literary voices that make the Bay Area unique, diverse and creative. Authors will have the opportunity to submit very short stories of 7,500 characters or less on the theme of “motion.”

Thirty finalists will be chosen by a panel of Bay Area literary icons including: Daniel Handler, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Ishmael Reed, JK Fowler, and Annalee Newitz.

Prizes include a $200 honorarium and the chance to have their stories made available on BART’s Short Edition website and in their four Short Edition Short Story Dispensers. Finalists will also be invited to participate in a reading at a BART station with Litquake in October.

Submissions close on or before June 30 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time or after 400 submissions have been received. BART is exploring the idea of a writing contest for authors ages 18 and under for next year.

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