The Writers' Union of Canada is pleased to launch its 10th annual Postcard Story Competition, which invites writers to submit a dynamic, lean, and efficient piece of just 250 words. A $500 prize will be awarded to a Canadian writer and the winning entry will be published in the Union's Newsletter. The entries of the winner and finalists will also be submitted to a Canadian magazine for consideration. The entry fee is $5 per submission and the deadline for entries is February 14, 2009.

Postcard story writing is a relatively new genre that takes a thrifty approach to storytelling, using few words to create works whose brevity belies a resonance woven within them. “Over the decade that the Union has been holding the competition, we have seen this economical art form develop and flourish across the country,” says Deborah Windsor, the Union's Executive Director. “It is always inspiring to see how much impact writers can make when crafting stories in this challenging format.”

The Writers' Union of Canada initiated its inaugural Postcard Story Competition in 1999 to discover, encourage, and promote writers of fiction and nonfiction in this form. The Competition has grown in popularity since its inception, last year attracting over 830 submissions.

The Union is delighted to announce an esteemed group of jurors for the 10th Annual Postcard Story Competition. Toronto writer Anthony De Sa’s first novel, Barnacle Love, was nominated for the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize and his upcoming novel, "Carnival of Desire," is slotted for a 2011 release. A recipient of a Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence, Sylvia Gunnery of Nova Scotia has written many novels for children and young adults, as well as professional books for teachers. Winnipegger Allan Levine is known for both his nonfiction and historical mysteries, and was shortlisted in 2005 for the Isbister Best Non-Fiction Manitoba Book of the Year for The Devil in Babylon: Fear of Progress and the Birth of Modern Life.

To be eligible, submissions must be written by a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant. Any text, fiction or nonfiction, up to 250 words, in the English language, which is original and not previously published in any format, is eligible. A typed, double-spaced entry in a clear twelve-point font on white paper, not stapled or exceeding maximum word length, along with an entry fee of $5 per submission (cheque or money order), should be sent to The Writers’ Union of Canada at: 90 Richmond Street East, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1P1. The deadline for submissions is February 14, 2009. For complete rules and regulations, please go to www.writersunion.ca/cn_postcard.asp.

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The Writers' Union of Canada is our country's national organization representing professional authors of books. Founded in 1973, the Union is dedicated to fostering writing in Canada, and promoting the rights, freedoms, and economic well-being of all writers. For more information, please visit www.writersunion.ca.

For additional information:
Nancy MacLeod, Competitions Coordinator
The Writers’ Union of Canada
416-703-8982 Ext. 226
competitions@writersunion.ca