Writing Contest

Entry Categories

Tales from the Workplace

500-word maximum

Do you have a lasting memory from the workplace that has stayed with you in retirement? Whether it happened in the classroom, the staff lounge, an office, a hospital ward, or anywhere else, share it with readers in an interesting way. More than an anecdote, use the experience to explore the meaning behind the memory, and make your readers care about it too! Names of other people involved in the story can be changed to protect privacy, or real names can be used with permission from the subjects. The story itself should be non-fiction, based on real events.

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Poetry

40-line maximum

Any form, any subject. 

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Travel and Food Writing

800-word maximum.

A non-fiction piece of writing that uses a food or travel experience as a central idea, exploring the memory and meaning associated with that experience in a creative format. The submission must be the writer’s own experience and written in the first person. This is not a space for travelogues or meal ideas, though recipes can be included if relevant to the story being told. Please do not submit photos, entries will be judged on the basis of writing alone.

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Rules and Guidelines

• The contest is open to all ARTA members and spouses, except members of any ARTA committee, the ARTA Board of Directors, or their families.
• Submissions must be the author’s original work, and winning entries will be published with the name of the author.
• Submissions may be handwritten, typed, or electronic (digital).
  • Electronic copies must be in .doc or .docx.
  • Handwritten or typed hard copies will not be returned.
  • Decorative fonts, headers or footers, or photos are not permitted.
• Submissions are limited to one entry per category; however, submissions in more than one category are welcome.
• Entries are disqualified when they:
  • Contain explicit or implied sexuality, violence, stereotypes, or disrespectful content.
  • Exceed the category word or line count.
  • Are received after the contest entry deadline.
• The selection of winners by the Communications Committee is final.
  • Prizes are awarded for first and second place.
  • All prizes must be accepted as awarded.
  • Winners will be advised privately by letter and publicly in the spring issue of news&views.
  • First and second place winning submissions are published in news&views.
• All entrants retain ownership of publication rights to their work; however, we ask that winners not submit their entries to another market until after publication in news&views.
• Submitting an entry implies permission to print the winning entry in paper and electronic issues of the magazine, as well as continued display in the online archive of past news&views Beyond this permission, the ownership and copyright for any work is retained by the author.

As with all news&views content, submissions may be edited using The Canadian Press Stylebook and the Canadian Oxford Dictionary

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How to Submit

The writing contest is closed for 2025, look for the winner announcement in the spring 2026 issue of news&views

Submitting Digital Entries

Click here to submit your entry

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Submitting Handwritten or Typed Manuscripts

The writing contest is closed for 2025, look for the winner announcement in the spring 2026 issue of news&views

Contact the ARTA office if a print copy of the entry form is required

Send paper copies to:

WRITING CONTEST,
c/o ARTA Office,
15505 137 Avenue NW,
Edmonton, AB  T5V 1R9

Please only submit a disposable copy since we cannot return handwritten or typed material.