We Have the Write to Our Futures Writing Contest

Writers, poets and spoken word artists will create new work that shares their ideas, vision and expression of Jacksonville through reflection on its last 200 years, imagining its next 100 years or a combination of the two. Using one of the following prompts and your own creative vision, with a lens of diversity and inclusion:

Past: Write about a historical person, place, or thing in Jacksonville and how they or it impacted you, people of the past, or the city itself.
Present: In what ways has our city embraced the diversity of people living here? In what ways can the City address the remaining challenges to embracing diversity?
Future: Choose a line or lines from the Johnson Brothers’ song Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing and explore how those words inspire your vision of Jacksonville’s future.

An independent panel of judges will view submitted work and cash prizes will be awarded in the following categories:
1. Story or Essay: $1,000 for first place, $750 for runner-up, $500 for student winner, 5 honorable mentions at $200 each
2. Page Poetry: $1,000 for first place, $750 for runner-up, $500 for student winner, 5 honorable mentions at $200 each
3. Spoken Word: $1,000 for first place, $750 for runner-up, $500 for student winner, 5 honorable mentions at $200 each

Submission Details:
1. Submissions are open June 13, 2022 to July 13, 2022.
2. Written submissions are limited to 1,000 words for story or essay category and two pages for page poetry. Please submit your work in a .PDF, .DOCX or .DOC file format.
3. Spoken word recordings, in either audio or video format, are limited to 5 minutes and must be in a .mp4, .mp3, .mov, .wav, or .aac file format.
4. More than one submission can be made per entrant.
5. Winners will be announced live at the celebration event at The Jessie on Friday, August 12, 2022. All winners will be invited to read their work aloud at the event.

To submit your work, click here.

Entrant Eligibility
Open to any writer that lives or has a connection to or an affiliation with the city of Jacksonville. Student writers include all entrants 18 years old and younger. For this competition, you are considered a student if you are 18 or younger on August 12, 2022.