In the last edition, we had the wholesome privilege of receiving hundreds of breathtaking entries that reflect the spirit of this contest: artistic excellence, daring and provocative voices, hope, and truth. This year, we hope to build further on that foundation.

The unifying lens for this edition’s categories is EDGES OF TRUTH. 

We invite writers to explore the boundaries at which perception, experience, and imagination converge, spaces where certainty gives way to questioning, and the known meets the unknown.

Edges of Truth signifies spaces in which reality is neither absolute nor static.

“Edges” are places where clarity wavers, contradictions surface, and personal and societal realities intersect. “Truth” is not a single point or universal decree, it is layered and subtle, and sometimes elusive. It is the pause between what we see and what we feel, between what we are told and what we know for ourselves.

We invite writers to investigate, illuminate, and inhabit these edges. 

In Creative Nonfiction, this might mean interrogating your own experiences or observing the world around you with nuance and courage. 

In Fiction, it might mean creating characters and narratives that dwell in moral or existential tension, that explore contradictions, or that reveal unseen consequences. 

In Poetry, it might mean capturing fleeting truths, subtle realizations, or the delicate line between clarity and mystery.

Our chief judge says the entries that stand out are those that

 “push beyond the readily digestible, explore contradictions with care, and give readers a space to pause, reflect, and see something familiar in a new light. We are looking for works that are daring yet thoughtful, provocative yet tender, pieces that linger, words that shimmer with precision, and ideas that hold space for reflection and dialogue.”