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May 18, 2024

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Gaithersburg Book Festival Announces Second Annual Short Story Contest for High School Students

Winning Author Will Receive $100 Prize and Opportunity to Read Story at Festival on May 19, 2012

For the second consecutive year, the Gaithersburg Book Festival will host a short story writing contest for high school students from across the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

To participate in the Gaithersburg Book Festival High School Student Short Story Contest, individuals must be high school students (public, private or homeschooled, grades 9-12, in the 2011-12 school year) who live in Maryland, Virginia or the District of Columbia. Stories must be no longer than 1,000 words and start with one of the following three lines, which were provided by Nero and Shamus award-winning mystery writer Brad Parks, author of “Eyes of the Innocent” and “Faces of the Gone:”

  • A 7-Eleven parking lot may not seem like the kind of place a miracle could occur, yet that’s where Haley Parsons was standing when she became aware she was witnessing one….
  • The thing I tell people about starting a riot is this: Make sure you have some idea how you’re going to stop it, unless you want to end up like me….
  • Lots of people have heard of love at first sight, but this was something else entirely….

Stories must be submitted as a Word document to writingcontest@gaithersburgbookfestival.org by midnight ET on February 24, 2012.

Up to 10 stories will be selected as fi­nalists and posted on the Gaithersburg Book Festival website prior to the Book Festival. The first-, second-, and third-place winners will be announced at the festival and will be awarded $100, $50 and $25 gift certificates, respectively, courtesy of the Johns Hopkins Montgomery County Campus.

In its inaugural year, the Gaithersburg Book Festival Short Story contest attracted 114 entries written by students from 10 counties in Maryland and Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia.

Complete rules and regulations for the contest can be found online at https://www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org/writing-contest.htm.

About the Gaithersburg Book Festival

The Gaithersburg Book Festival is an annual all-day celebration of books, writers, and literary excellence. Now in its third year, the Festival has become one of the premier literary events in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Festival will be held on May 19, 2012, on the grounds of Gaithersburg City Hall, with shuttle buses running from Lakeforest Mall.  Activities include author appearances, discussions and book signings; writing workshops; a Children’s Village; a Coffee House with poets and singers/songwriters; onsite book sales, both new and used; exhibitors and, of course, food, drink, ice cream and more. Admission is free. For more information please visit www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org.

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