Writing Competition: Larry Brown Short Story Award

We’re pleased to announce the eighth annual Larry Brown Short Story Award.

The winners will receive the following prizes: 1st $500 USD, 2nd $50 USD, 3rd $50 USD, and 4th and 5th will receive a copy of the book Tiny Love: The Complete Stories by Larry Brown. Each prize winner will be published in the January 2024 issue of Pithead Chapel.

2023 Guest Judge: Sequoia Nagamatsu

Contest Guidelines

Please read the guidelines carefully before submitting.

• The contest is open from August 1st to October 31st of each year

• The submitted story must be less than 4,000 words

• No previously published work will be considered

• The writer’s name and contact information should only appear within the cover letter box in Submittable; submissions will be judged blindly by our guest judge

• Again, no identifying information should appear on the submitted manuscript pages

• There’s a $10 entry fee for each story submission. A discounted submission category is open to BIPOC writers.

• Writers can submit multiple entries; however, each entry must be submitted separately and each entry requires an entry fee and cover letter with an address and phone number

• Simultaneous submissions are fine; however, please withdraw the story immediately if it’s accepted elsewhere

• The winners and honorable mentions will be notified by December 15th, 2023, and the prize money will be awarded the day after publication on January 2nd, 2024

• Those selected as honorable mentions will have the chance to be published alongside the winning selections in the January 2024 issue of Pithead Chapel

Submit your entry here.