The Okanagan Short Story Contest awards the best new short stories by writers in the Southern Interior of British Columbia: east of Hope, west of the Alberta border, north of the US border and south of Williams Lake. Past winners have gone on to publish with Penguin Random House, Arsenal Pulp Press, and NeWest Press, as well as numerous magazines and journals nationally and internationally.
FCCS is offering cash prizes to the top three stories—$1,000, $400 and $200. The top short story by a high-school student in the region receives $200 prize. Co-sponsors are FCCS and the Central Okanagan Foundation.
Submissions for the 27th Annual Short Story Contest will be judged by creative writing emeritus professor, Nancy Holmes, who also initiated the contest in 1997. Winners will be announced at a public event in early spring 2025.
We are looking for works of fiction that fall between 1,000 and 4,000 words in length (about 4-20 pages, typed, double-spaced). We are unable to provide written responses to manuscripts.
All proceeds from the entry fee go towards administrative costs, the Creative Writing scholarships at UBC, and to support scholarships for Indigenous students through Indspire as a way to support our Faculty’s goals for Truth and Reconciliation.
ADULTS – ONLINE SUBMISSION FORM
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS – ONLINE SUBMISSION FORM
Questions? Email: ok.storycontest@ubc.ca
2024 Contest Winners
Adult category: Debbra Mikaelsen of Penticton, took first place for her short story “Saving Bees from Drowning”. Tyler Finley placed second with “The Trick to Holding Your Breath for Years”. Third place went to Elenna Hope from Nelson for her story, “My Date With a Cowboy”.
High School Category: Honourable mention went to Dania Wilson from West Kelowna for her story, “Bradford”. The winner of the high school category went to Maylyn Tarves from Nelson BC for her story, “Philosopher King of Clusterf**k Mountain”.
2023 Contest Winners
Alison Braid of Summerland, took first place for her short story “Two Day Summer”. Madeleine van Goudoever, placed second with “Peachy Like Nietzsche”. Third place went to MFA alumna Kristin Burns for her story, “Heat”. Darian Detta took the top prize for the high school category for his story, “The Place Where None Can Grow.”
2022 Contest Winners
MFA student Manjinder Sidhu-Kong took the top prize at this year’s contest with her story, Wax Off.
Second place went to Animal Sounds and Smells by Laura Foisy from Cherryville BC. Local Kelowna resident Stephanie Plumb took third place with her story The Sound of the Sea. The high-school category was won by Frances Myers Lynch, from L.V. Rodgers Secondary School in Nelson BC.
2024: Debbra Mikaelsen for “Saving Bees from Drowning”; High School Winner: Maylyn Tarves for “Philosopher King of Clusterf**k Mountain”. Judge: Shelley Wood. Reading: Alternator Gallery for Contemporary Art, Kelowna.
2023: Alison Braid for “Two-Day Summer”; High School Winner: Darian Detta. Judge: Corinna Chong. Reading: Alternator Gallery for Contemporary Art, Kelowna.
2022: Manjinder Sidhu-Kong for “Wax Off”; High School Winner: Frances Myers Lynch. Judge: Naben Ruthnum. Reading: Downtown Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Regional Library.
2021: Jorie Soames for “Storm Warning; High School Winner: Courtney Westfall. Judge: Frances Greenslade. Reading: Virtual.
2020: Carol Zuckerman for “Trout”; High School Winner: Chanel Sergeant. Judge: John Lent. Reading: John Lent and Carol Zuckerman at Read Head Studio/Read Local Okanagan Virtual Reading Series.
2019: Erin Scott for “Turn First to the Body in Real Space”; High School Winner: Alyssa Kong. Judge: Dania Tomlinson. Reading: Milkcrate Records, Kelowna.
2018: Brittni MacKenzie-Dale for “They Called Him Luke”; High School Winner: Bethany Pardoe; Judge: Karen Hoffman. Reading: The Great Room, Okanagan Regional Library Kelowna
2017: Karen Hofmann for “The Island”; Judge: Renée Sarojini Saklikar. Reading: The Great Room, Okanagan Regional Library Kelowna
2016: Dania Tomlinson for “Badlands”; Judge: Tamas Dobozy. Reading: Royal Anne Hotel, Kelowna
2015: Katherin Edwards for “Pellucidity”; Judge: Marie Clements. Reading: Okanagan Regional Library, Kelowna
2014: Shelley Wood for “Leave-taking”; Judge: Gerry Shikatani. Reading: Alternator Gallery, Kelowna
2013: Joe Dermo for “Salmon at Night”; Judge: Erin Moure. Reading: Downtown Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Regional Library, Kelowna
2012: Karen Hofmann for “Billeh and the Bee Man”; Judge: Karen Connelly. Reading: Downtown Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Regional Library, Kelowna
2011: Lindsay Diehl for “Basel”; Judge Annabel Lyon. Reading: Downtown Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Regional Library, Kelowna
2010: Chris McMahen for “The Post”; Judge Laisha Rosnau. Reading: Downtown Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Regional Library, Kelowna
2009: Brian d’Eon; Judge Gail Anderson-Dargatz. Reading: Kelowna Art Gallery Kelowna
2008: Ashley Little, “Dr. Lung”; Judge John Gould. Reading: Laurel Building, Life & Arts Festival, Kelowna
2007: Karen Hofmann, ” The Canoe”; Judge Caroline Adderson. Reading: Laurel Building, Life & Arts Festival, Kelowna
2006: Christopher Fleck, “Revolution Blues”; Judge Adam Lewis Schroeder. Reading: Doc Willoughby’s Pub, Kelowna
2005: No contest was held this year
2004: M. Anne Cooper, “Pea Soup”; Judge Brian Brett. Reading: The Rotary Centre for the Arts, Kelowna
2003: Starleigh Grass, “Duke”; Judge Aislinn Hunter. Reading: The Art Ark, Kelowna
2002: Dona Sturmanis, “Space”; Judge Dave Williamson. Reading: The Art Ark, Kelowna
2001: Kelly Dvorak, “Annie Tells”; Judge Billie Livingston. Reading: The Alternator Gallery, Kelowna.
2000: Virginia Dansereau, “Undertow”; Judge David Arnason. Reading: The George Ryga Centre, Summerland.
1999: No contest was held this year
1998: Tannis Atkinson, “Comfort”; Judge Cynthia Flood. Reading: The George Ryga Centre, Summerland.
1997: Alison Sivak, “Portrait of a Girl Who…”; Judge Sean Virgo. Reading: The George Ryga Centre, Summerland.
Second and Third prize winners have included Tyler Finley and Elenna Hope (2024), Madeleine van Goudoever, Kristin Burns (2021 and 2023), Laura Foisy, Stephanie Plumb, Jorie Soames, Heidi Garnett, Alexandra Davison, Katie Welch, Victoria Alvarez (2019 and 2018), Cliff Hatcher, Michael Griffin (2018 and 2017), Bronwyn Berg, Jocelyn Tennant, Raven Faith Jones, Glenna Turnbull, Brittni Mackenzie-Dale (2014 and 2015), Andrew McMonagle, Jade Hignett, Jillian Harvey, Shelley Wood, Tara Storness-Bliss, Susan Fenner, Ryan Ennis, Toby Burbidge, Gord Grisenthwaite (2006 and 2010), Susan Buis, Dawn Kennedy, Leah Todd, Hugh Anderson, Chris McMahen, Trish Lomin, Shirley Missiaen, Dawn Renaud, Lee Caufield, R.D. Shuttleworth, Virginia Dansereau, Anne Wise, Sarah Hambley, Steven Lattey, Brett Todd, Jill Rochelle Hiebert, Dona Sturmanis, and Darcie Hossack.
The Okanagan Short Story Contest was founded in 1997 with a grant from the Central Okanagan Foundation. It was originally administered by Okanagan University College. In 2006, the contest became a joint project of the two new post-secondary institutions in the valley: Okanagan College and The University of British Columbia’s Okanagan Campus. The contest has been held annually since 1997 (with two years missing). Support for the contest has come from the Central Okanagan Foundation, The Capital News, the Amber Webb-Bowerman Foundation, George Ryga Centre, subTerrain magazine, and CBC Radio One in Kelowna. Prizes each year vary, but they have included cash awards, readings, publication and broadcast of stories, and writing retreat opportunities. The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan currently administers the contest.
The short story contest is made possible by the efforts of support staff at UBC Okanagan and our terrific judges.