It gives us great pleasure to announce our 2nd ever Big Fish Lyric Essay and Writers on Writing Contest! A prize of $200 and online publication will be awarded to the best piece of nonfiction writing under 5,000 words that we receive in one of the following categories:
THE LYRIC ESSAY: Innovative, sonically pleasing nonfiction prose on any topic is welcome in this category. John D'Agata quoting his teacher Deborah Tall once suggested that a lyric form of the essay "is a kind of essay propelled not by its information, but rather by the possibility for transformative experience." CutBank likes this definition, but we're also excited to see how you interpret such a malleable genre.
WRITERS ON WRITING: We're looking for original, personal takes on the literary arts--form is largely up to you. We're hoping to receive your best craft essays, stylistic manifestos, and impressions on why writing matters. You might even take a crack at defining the lyric essay for us. Smart, self-referential fiction pieces that illuminate the writing process or the importance of writing are also welcome in this category.
The contest winner will be chosen by the CutBank editorial staff and announced on our website May 1. All submissions will be considered for both online and print publication in CutBank. Submissions are accepted from March 1 to April 1 and must be accompanied by a $9 submission fee. Previously unpublished work only. Multiple submissions are acceptable, as long as each one is accompanied by its own submission fee. Simultaneous submissions are also acceptable, but please withdraw your work promptly if it is accepted elsewhere.