Bucks County Short Fiction Contest for High School Students
Call for Entries - 2026
The ninth annual Bucks County Short Fiction Contest for High School Students invites entries from high school students who are residents of Bucks County, PA, or who are enrolled in high schools within the county. Home-schooled students are also eligible.
Eligibility
All students who are residents of Bucks County, PA, or are enrolled in a high school (grades 9-12) in Bucks County, PA, are eligible. Homeschooled Bucks County, PA students are also eligible.
Entry Rules
- Each entrant may submit one original short story. Stories must be previously unpublished, including in online blogs or publications. No fan fiction (based on existing books, movies or other media) is acceptable.
- Stories should be double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12, with standard margins. Stories may be five to ten pages, double spaced (about 1,450-2,400 words). DOC or DOCX.
- Please place the title of the story in the upper right-hand corner. Your name should not appear anywhere on the document.
- Please fill out the Entry Form completely and submit your story by 12 p.m. (noon) by Wednesday, March 11, 2026. Entries must be submitted electronically. No paper submissions will be accepted. There is no cost to enter the contest.
- Use of AI, including Grammarly, is strictly prohibited.
- Entries that do not follow these rules may be disqualified.
- The judges' decisions are final.
Notification of Winners
Winners will be notified by the Director of the BCCC Short Fiction Contest. All contestants will be notified using the phone number or email address you provided. Note: It's a good idea to check your phone and email in the week following the contest. If your submission cannot be accessed, this is how the contest director will attempt to reach you.
Awards
- First place: $200 Honorarium
- Second place: $100 Honorarium
- Third place: $50 Honorarium
A celebratory event will be held on Wednesday, April 22, at 7 p.m.
Bucks County Community College is the sponsor of the Bucks Short Fiction Contests. The contest receives support from the School of Language and Literature. The contest director is Professor Elizabeth Luciano. Faculty of the school will serve as judges. For more information, please email Professor Elizabeth Luciano at elizabeth.luciano@bucks.edu.
2026 High School Short Fiction Winners
The Bucks County Short Fiction Contest for High School Students is pleased to announce the winners for Spring 2026.
- Sarah Templeton, a tenth-grader at Pennsbury High School, was awarded first place for her story, “The Boy Who Painted the Sunset.”
- Jason Marks, a tenth-grader at Penn Ridge High School, placed second for “The Grave.”
- Sarah Lueck, a senior at Central Bucks West High School, placed third for “Echoes and Revelations.”
Dr. Ellen Pratofiorito, a faculty member at the College, made the final selection.
For more information, contact the contest coordinator Prof. Elizabeth Luciano at elizabeth.luciano@bucks.edu.