Short Fiction & Poetry Contests
Last updated Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at 9:22 AM
Bucks County Community College invites high school scribes to enter the annual short fiction and poetry contests for the opportunity to win prizes and to read their works at a public reception.
Both contests – which are free to enter – are open to students in grades 9 – 12 who attend high school in Bucks County or live in Bucks County. Home-schooled Bucks County high school students are also eligible. Previous winners are not eligible.
Short fiction contest deadline: March 11
For the short fiction contest, now in its ninth year, each student may submit one original short story of 5 -10 double-spaced pages by noon Wednesday, March 11. All entries must be submitted online. Stories must be unpublished and completely original (no fan fiction is permitted). Complete rules and the entry form can be found on our high school short fiction contest webpage.
The first-place winner will receive a $200 honorarium, the second-place winner will receive a $100 honorarium, and the third-place winner will receive a $50 honorarium. The winners will be invited to read from their work at a celebration on campus in April. Faculty will serve as judges. For more information, contact contest director Professor Elizabeth Luciano at elizabeth.luciano@bucks.edu.
Poetry contest deadline: March 13
Meanwhile, the 39th Annual High School Poet of the Year contest is accepting entries through Friday, March 13. Students may submit three original poems for the chance to win $300. In addition, the winner will receive a proclamation from the Bucks County Commissioners, and the opportunity to read at a public reception. Runners-up and finalists in the contest will also be invited to read at the public event.
The contest will be judged by 2025 Bucks County Poet Laureate Madeline Marriott and 2024 laureate Lake Angela. An online entry form can be found on the high school poet of the year webpage. To learn more, contact Dr. Ethel Rackin, director of the Bucks County Poet Laureate program which runs the high school poetry contest, at ethel.rackin@bucks.edu.