NL Writes presents
The Ocean is a Magnet: A Short Story Celebration
Moving Together for Conservation
Story
15 February, 2024
The Ocean Frontier Institute Module I, ‘Informing Governance Responses in a Changing Ocean’ (OFI Module I) and Writers NL, in conjunction with Moving Together for Marine Conservation (MTC), introduce NL Writes – a writing competition aimed at stimulating reflection and dialogue on the diverse connections, visions, and experiences related to the coasts and ocean of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has named 2024 The Year of the Arts to celebrate the province’s rich arts and cultural sector. To contribute to the celebration, NL Writes invites emerging and first-time, amateur writers to submit short stories, reflecting on the theme “The Ocean is a Magnet”.
Longlisted and winning entries will be curated and published as part of the TBTI Global Book Series and showcased through various media, including website and social media. The culmination of this literary competition will be celebrated at an NL Writes event in Fall 2024.
What is the Theme?
The ocean is a magnet, which has captivated Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and drawn visitors to the province. Its awe-inspiring presence keeps locals rooted through highs and lows, acting as a magnetic force that beckons them home, and attracts visitors from across the globe.
The ocean is also a source of joy, tragedy, and every emotion in between. The diverse connections to the ocean are based on deeply personal experiences. These are sometimes obvious, sometimes strange, at times apparent but often subtle. Every expression of an ocean connection has an underlining story, waiting to be told.
The ocean’s allure is tied to diverse psychological, social, cultural, economic, historical, and political aspects related to the province’s coasts. Sharing these connections is vital for cultural persistence and renewal, bridging the past and forging new futures across generations. The competition explores these connections through short stories that delve into the theme, “The Ocean is a Magnet.”
Who can submit?
To be eligible for NL Writes 2024, your entry must be new, i.e. it has not been published in any outlet across the media. The competition is open to both youth (ages 14-18) and adult writers (ages 18 and over), and the two categories will be separately judged. All quality submissions will be featured in various media, including e-book, website, and social media. To express intention to submit please e-mail: [email protected] at your earliest convenience. All entries must follow the submission timeline (see below).
What can be submitted?
We welcome submissions of all forms but are especially interested in short stories by emerging and first-time, amateur writers. Submissions must be written in English and focus principally on Newfoundland and Labrador, and illustrate connections to coasts and ocean. All submissions will be considered for the publication in the final volume, but only short stories of diverse genres are eligible to be adjudicated and win prizes.
Short stories can be written in English, between 2,500 and 3,500 words. They can be fiction or non-fiction, set in any time period, reflecting any perspective or genre, including drama, or children and young adult stories.
Please contact [email protected] if you wish to check on the eligibility of your submission.
What is the competition process?
After submission (see Timeline below), a long list will be created from an initial screen for quality and eligibility. Longlisted authors will be invited to participate in a Mentorship Workshop on April 27 to strengthen their submissions (details to follow). The jury will adjudicate resubmissions and select the winners. The longlisted and the winning contributions will be collected, assembled, and submitted to the TBTI Global Book series for publishing. Winning authors will receive a $ 300 cash prize. Both longlisted and winning submissions will be celebrated during an NL Writes event in September 2024.
| Steps | Timetable |
|---|---|
Submissions due | April 7 |
Longlist announced | April 15 |
Mentorship Workshop with Long Listed Authors | April 27 |
Longlisted entries resubmitted | June 15 |
Winners selected | August 1 |
Winners announced publicly | September 1 |
NL Writes Celebration Event | September (TBD) |
What is NL Writes?
NL Writes is a creation of OFI Module I and Writers NL , in collaboration with Moving Together for Marine Conservation (MTC). It is intended to support emerging and amateur writers to hone their craft, get visibility, and share their stories and perspectives.
NL Writes turns the competitive spirit of Canada Reads on its head by focusing on bringing writers together, along with their readers. It aims to foster an inclusive and supportive setting for growth of diverse writing styles, with the intention to spark new reflection and dialogue among broad readership in NL and beyond.
OFI Module I (www.ofigovernance.net) is a collaborative research initiative that examines social, ecological, economic, and institutional changes for the future of fisheries, coastal communities, and oceans of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Writers NL (www.writersnl.ca) is a not-for-profit, member-based organization that serves the needs of writers in the province.
MTC (www.moving2conservation.net) is a multi-year outreach and engagement project based at Memorial University focused on creating community in marine conservation.
Meet the Mentors
Holly Hogan is a writer and seabird biologist. During her more than thirty years as a scientist, she has spent about a thousand days at sea conducting avian and marine mammal surveys and providing educational programming with expedition teams. Her work has taken her from the Arctic to the Antarctic, and every latitude in between. She has provided expertise on seabirds and marine plastic issues for various radio and documentary series. Her book Message in a Bottle: Ocean Dispatches from a Seabird Biologist was short-listed for the 2023 Governor-General’s Award for non-fiction.
Carmella Cosgrove-Gray: Carmella Gray-Cosgrove is from Vancouver and lives in Newfoundland with her family. Her writing has appeared in Prism International, Broken Pencil, The New Quarterly and elsewhere. Her debut short story collection Nowadays and Lonelier won the BMO Winterset Award. She is the Managing Editor at Riddle Fence Magazine.
Santiago Guzmán (he/they) is an award-winning playwright, dramaturge, performer, and director originally from Metepec, Mexico, now based in St. John’s, NL. He is the Artistic Director of TODOS Productions & the Interim Artistic Director for Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre. Santiago’s work as a writer aims to put local, under-represented narratives and characters on the frontlines, whilst inviting audiences to appreciate the vibrancy of Newfoundland and Labrador from a diverse perspective. As an immigrant, queer, and artist of colour, Santiago believes that representation matters. Read more about them here www.sguzman.ca.