Rules, Entry Format & Free Speech

 

Contest Rules                                               Printable version

 

1)        Eligibility: All contestants must be Grade 10, 11 or 12 students registered at a school in School District 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith), maximum age 19 years.

 

2)       Categories and entry content: Entries must be either prose fiction or prose non-fiction (memoir, travelogue, personal essay etc.). See “For Teachers” link for more information. All entries must be in English, the original work of the contestant, not previously published in any format, a complete work rather than a fragment of a larger piece, and maximum 3000 words). Any subject matter may be chosen, however please note our Free Speech Policy, and consult your teacher for further guidance if necessary.

 

3)       Entry limit: Contestants may submit a maximum of one entry per category (i.e. one fiction work and one non-fiction work).

 

4)        Submission and deadline: The deadline for receipt of contest entries is Monday, 23 March 2009. All entries must formatted as outlined below, and be submitted electronically as an MS Word file (see Entry Format for details) to sixtyeightwrites@shaw.ca.

 

5)       Judging criteria: Entries will be judged on the basis of originality, technical writing skill and meaningful content. Judging will be blind (i.e. no author or school information will appear on judging copies of entries). The judges’ decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

 

6)       Prizes and recognition: Prizes must be accepted as awarded. Honourable Mention and Finalists will receive certificates of recognition, and additional prizes depending on donations from sponsors. Cash prizes will be awarded in each category as follows: First Prize $300; Second Prize $200; Third Prize $100. Confirmation of eligibility (i.e. registration in School District 68) will be confirmed before cash prizes are awarded.

 

7)       Anthology Writer’s Fees and Artist’s Fee: Students who do not win a cash prize but whose work is chosen for the anthology of best submissions will receive a $50 Writer’s Fee. Student art will be solicited for the cover, and the student whose work is chosen will receive a $50 Artist’s Fee.

 

8)       Consent of legal guardian & Copyright: Students must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian to enter the contest, and submission of an entry will be taken as an indication that this consent has been obtained. Authors retain copyright of their own work. However, by entering the contest, authors grant permission for publication of their name, school and the submitted work on the contest web site, and in any anthology of any format containing contest material that may be produced by Sixty-eight Writes. The contest retains copyright over the web site and anthology as a whole.

 

9)        Personal information: The only student personal information collected from contest entrants will be name, grade, school, and email address. This information is collected solely to identify authors with their work and to maintain contact for the purpose of carrying out the contest. Identifying information is removed before the entries are provided to the judges as the evaluation process is “blind”. The identifying information will be maintained by the contest coordinator in a secure manner consistent with the requirements of the Freedom of information and Protection of Privacy Act of British Columbia, and will not be sold or passed on for any unrelated purpose. By providing the information entrants consent to publication of their name and work on the contest web site, in any other anthology of any format that may be created by Sixty-eight Writes, and in promotional materials relating to the contest.

 

10)      Fees and obligations: This is a non-profit, community supported, educational enterprise, and there are no fees for entry. There is no obligation on the part of authors or judges to participate in promotional activities or perform any other work, or to enter into any contract. The judges do not commit to providing specific feedback on any work submitted. The organizers are committed volunteers, and will make all reasonable efforts to complete the enterprise as advertised. By entering the contest, entrants agree to abide by the rules. Entrants will indemnify and hold Sixty-eight Writes, its sponsors and endorsing organizations harmless from and against any and all loss, damage, costs and other expense arising out of claims, whatever their nature, resulting directly or indirectly from submission of an entry in breach of the contest rules (e.g. an entry that is not original, or to which the entrant does not hold rights). In addition, Sixty-eight Writes, its sponsors and endorsing organizations assume no liability resulting from losses, delays, mistaken addresses on school mail or e-mail received, typographical errors, technical or computer malfunctions, loss or theft of computer data, fraudulent calls or any other mistake.

 

 

 

Entry Format

 

1)       Font, spacing and formatting: Entries must be MS Word files in 11 point Arial and double spaced. Include the title on the first page only, and begin the text approximately half-way down the first page. Pages should be numbered on the lower right corner. No artwork or special formatting (other than bolding, italics or underlining) may be included. Please avoid the use of special characters if possible. NOTE: If your work is selected for publication, an opportunity to submit artwork or other illustration may be made available). DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME, OR THE NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL, ON YOUR ENTRY.

 

2)       Filename: Use a filename following this pattern: [abbreviated name of school – see list below]-[title of entry, abbreviated as appropriate].

 

          Example filename: NDSS-How I Spent My Summer

 

3)       email: Submit the file as an attachment. In the body of the email include the title of your entry, the category (fiction or non-fiction), your name, grade and school, and if possible a teacher’s name for contact. Don’t forget to do this, as it will be the only way to connect your name with your entry! A single email may be used to submit entries in both categories. Submit entries to sixtyeightwrites@shaw.ca.

 

 

List of school names:

 

BARS       John Barsby Community

CEDR       Cedar Community Secondary

DOVB       Dover Bay Secondary

LADY        Ladysmith Secondary

NDSS       Nanaimo District Secondary

WELL       Wellington Secondary

WOOD      Woodlands Secondary

OTHR      Other school or program within SD 68 (please specify in body of email)

 

 

Free Speech Policy

 

             It is the intent of Sixty-eight Writes to encourage rather than limit self-expression. We hope that students will feel free to write about any topic that interests them, particularly if they have a strongly felt, sincere concern or opinion to communicate. Entries will not be arbitrarily rejected on the basis of subject matter. However, students are asked to exercise sensitivity when addressing controversial topics and are reminded to consider the following:

 

· Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression”, however it also provides for some limitation of those rights to protect others from harm, for example through laws against hate propaganda and pornography.

 

· Accepted standards of responsible journalism will be applied, e.g. with respect to libel, indecency, obscenity, invasion of privacy, copyright, undocumented allegations and harassment.

 

· Selected entries will be published on a web site created by and intended for minors and endorsed by the educational community. Therefore, generally accepted standards for materials suitable for secondary school students will be applied, even if this represents a stricter standard than would be appropriate for a web site created by adults and intended for an adult audience.

 

             A five-member panel consisting of representatives from administrators, teachers, librarians, the community and the contest organizers will review any entries that raise concerns if necessary. The panel will make a final decision based on the above principles, and not on the basis of personal political, social, moral or religious beliefs. The organizers of the contest reserve the right to reject entries, even those with artistic merit or other perceived social value, in accordance with the above principles. Any student whose entry has been rejected on this basis will be notified.