I have two writing contests to tell you about today. The first is being held by the Great Little Publishing Company. The other is being held by SFU’s Summer Publishing Worshops. I’ll talk about the SFU one first, since the deadline to enter is July 5th, 2010.

SFU has joined with CBC Vancouver’s North by Northwest and The Vancouver International Writers Festival to hold a humour writing contest. They say if you can make them laugh the hardest, you’ll win all of this:

Two tickets to the Symposium on the Book (humour) on July 18th
• Two complete sets of books from each of the authors at the symposium
• Two nights at the Delta Suites Vancouver
• Passes for two to an event during the Vancouver International Writers Festival
• A year’s subscription to The Walrus magazine
• A year’s subscription to The Globe and Mail
• The latest book from esteemed designer Robert Bringhurst (CCSP Press)
• Dinner with the authors and panelists in the symposium

The winner, announced July 14th, will have their piece read on air by North by Northwest and published on Books on the Radio and the SFU Summer Publishing website.

Mail, email or drop off your 500-700 word essay (fiction or non-fiction, previously published/printed or not), labelled SYMPOSIUM CONTEST, to one of these addresses (one entry per person) by 5 p.m. Monday, July 5th, 2010:

SFU Summer Publishing Workshops
3573-515 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3
Email: pubworks@sfu.ca

North by Northwest
CBC Vancouver
Box 4600
Vancouver, BC V6B 4A2
Email: nxnw@cbc.ca

The Vancouver International Writers Festival
202-1398 Cartwright St.
Vancouver BC, V6H 3R8
Email: viwf@writersfest.bc.ca

The Great Little Publishing Company’s contest has five writing categories: novels, poetry, children’s, non-fiction and short stories. There are fifty prizes to be won, ranging from a $3,750 publishing package to publication in the Great Little Publishing Company’s anthology series.

It costs $15 to enter; the entry fee includes a $30 gift certificate, presumably for the Great Little Publishing Company’s services. The contest runs until October 31st, 2010, so there’s plenty of time to get your entry in. For details, rules and regulations go to GreatLittlePublishing.com/writers-contest.