The Center for Fiction is once again partnering with The Decameron Project for a National Teen Storyteller Contest. Young writers, ages 13-18, are encouraged to submit your best work on the theme of Social and Criminal Justice for a chance to win online publication, a cash prize, and more. This contest is part of our NEA Big Read in celebration of Ernest J. Gaines’s classic novel A Lesson before Dying. We invite entries to respond broadly to the themes of social justice and the criminal justice system. The stories should be between 300-1000 words.

The three winning stories will be published on The Center for Fiction and Decameron Project websites. They will additionally receive a bookstore gift certificate and a CFF tote bag.

Final decisions regarding winners and finalists will be made by The Center for Fiction staff. The Center for Fiction reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any entries that do not follow the contest rules or contain lewd, obscene, defamatory, or hateful content.

For more information, go to https://decameronproject.org/criminal-justice-competition/.