Student Writing Contest
Open to Middle & High School Students
Fiction
2,500 Word Limit
1st Place - $100
2nd Place - $75
3rd Place - $50
Non-Fiction
2,500 Word Limit
1st Place - $100
2nd Place - $75
3rd Place - $50
Poetry
16 Line Limit
1st Place - $100
2nd Place - $75
3rd Place - $50
* 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners will be chosen from both middle and high school brackets.
Winners will be invited to read their work at the 2027 Williamsburg Book Festival and will have the option of having their work published in an anthology from Pale Horse Books.
Students under 18 require parental permission to be published.
Deadline: November 14th, 2026
Adult Writing Contest
Open to anyone 18+.
Accepting all genres. Must be 500 words or less.
Round 1 - Submission
Enter your work, must be 500 words or less. Only entries meeting this criteria will be evaluated
Round 2 - Finalists
Finalists will be selected by the Williamsburg Book Festival Board & Contest Sponsors.
Round 3 - Live Voting
Finalists will read their work aloud at the Festival on Feb. 27th 2027. The audience will vote for the winners.