Dr. Gordon D. & Brenda Bush High School Writers' Contest
The Dr. Gordon D. & Brenda Bush High School Writers’ Contest celebrates and supports emerging writers by recognizing original student work in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The contest encourages creative expression and a lifelong engagement with writing, while strengthening connections between local high schools and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Contest Deadline: February 15, 2026
Contest Rules
Eligibility
- Contestants must be high school juniors or seniors enrolled in a school located in Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, St. Clair, or Washington County.
- Entries may be written as part of a class assignment.
- Entries must be original, unpublished work and may not be edited by anyone prior to submission.
Categories & Prizes
- Contestants may submit one entry per category and may enter multiple categories. A contestant may win in only one category.
- Fiction (3,000 words or fewer): First Prize: $500; Second Prize: $300; Third Prize: $100
- Nonfiction (2,000 words or fewer; no research papers): First Prize: $500; Second Prize: $300; Third Prize: $100
- Poetry (rhymed or unrhymed; 40 lines or fewer): First Prize: $500; Second Prize: $300; Third Prize: $100
Manuscript Preparation
- Manuscripts must be typed with numbered pages and submitted as a PDF.
- Fiction and nonfiction must be double-spaced; poetry may be single-spaced.
- Do not include the student’s name or school in the manuscript; this information should appear only on the entry form.
- The file name of your manuscript entry must follow the following file name format: Last Name, School, Category. For example, John Wilson from Trinity High School entering into the category of Poetry should save their entry as a PDF with the file name: WilsonTrinityPoetry.
- Entries must be the first submitted copy of the contestant’s original work.
Submission & Deadlines
- Entries must be submitted by a teacher using the online form no later than February 15, 2026.
- Winners will be notified by April 3, 2026.
- Awards will be presented at a ceremony on Friday, April 25, 2026.
Judging & Publication
- Final judging will be conducted by faculty from the SIUE Department of English.
- Entries that do not comply with contest rules will be disqualified.
- Winning entries will be published in a contest booklet.
- Winning authors and their sponsoring faculty will receive a copy of the booklet.
- First serial rights belong to SIUE; authors retain all other rights.
- Sponsoring teachers of winning entries will receive a gift of appreciation.
How to Enter
- Make sure that your manuscript entry adheres to the Contest Rules detailed above, that the text of your manuscript does not contain your name or school affiliation, and that the file you intend to enter into the contest is saved as a PDF with the correct file name.
- Complete the entry form and upload your entry. If you are making submissions in multiple categories, you will need to fill out the form separately for each submission.
If you have any questions about the Dr. Gordon D. & Brenda Bush High School Writers' Contest, please contact Andrea Keller, Director of Development, at andkell@siue.edu.
This contest is made possible through the generosity of Dr. Gordon D. and Brenda Bush and the Friends of Lovejoy Library High School Writers' Contest endowment.
