May 1 deadline for for W.Va. fiction contest

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — Submissions are due Sunday, May 1, for the West Virginia Fiction Competition.

The short-story competition is open to any West Virginia resident or student attending a school in West Virginia. Original, unpublished stories of between 500 and 2,500 words written by authors of any age are eligible.

The first-place winner will receive the West Virginia Fiction Award and $500. The winning story will be read at the Appalachian Heritage Festival concert in September at Shepherd University. Second- and third-place prizes will receive awards and $100 each.

For complete submission guidelines, go to www.shepherd.edu/ahwir web/new_writers.html or call Sylvia Bailey Shurbutt at 304-876-5207. Send submissions by email to Shurbutt at sshurbut@shepherd.edu or Ethan Fischer at ffisher@shepherd.edu.