Gaithersburg Book Festival Launches Eighth Annual Short Story Contest with Bigger Prize Pot

For the second year in a row, the Gaithersburg Book Festival is giving high school students the freedom to explore their writing creativity, with no opening lines or artwork to serve as inspiration, for its short story contest. The festival is also giving winners more money. Prizes for first- and second-place winners will increase to $250 and $100, respectively, for the 2018 contest. Third-place and fan favorite prizes remain $50 and $25, respectively.

“Last year’s decision to remove all limits and constraints on topic paid off,” said Jud Ashman, festival chair and Mayor of the City of Gaithersburg. “The breadth of submissions and quality of work was impressive.”

To participate in the short story contest, students must be enrolled in grades 9-12 at a public or private school, or be in a homeschool program, for the 2017-18 school year. Additionally, entrants must reside in Maryland, Virginia or the District of Columbia.

Stories cannot exceed 1,000 words and must be submitted electronically via a web form by midnight ET on Thursday, February 22, 2018.

Up to 12 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 and the fan favorite will be announced at the Festival on Saturday, May 19, 2018.

Prizes are provided courtesy of the Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus.

Complete rules and regulations can be found online.

About the Gaithersburg Book Festival

The Gaithersburg Book Festival is an annual all-day celebration of books, writers and literary excellence. Quickly becoming one of the premier literary events in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, the 2018 Festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 19, on the grounds of Gaithersburg City Hall, in Olde Towne Gaithersburg, Md. Activities will include author appearances, discussions and book signings; writing workshops; a Children’s Village; onsite sales of new and used books; literary exhibitors and food, drink, ice cream and more. FREE admission and accessible shuttle will be available from Shady Grove Metro and Lakeforest Mall. The Gaithersburg Book Festival also hosts author events in Montgomery County throughout the year as a way to encourage continued appreciation for all things literary. For more information please visit www.gaithersburgbookfestival.orgor follow on Twitter @GburgBookFest.