Entry Deadline Approaching For Young Writers Competition

The Connecticut State University System and IMPAC Control Systems Inc are presenting the annual Young Writers competition to enable youths to express themselves.

Young writers ages 13–18 during the school year must submit their work and entry forms postmarked no later than February 1, 2008. Public, private, or home school teachers must sign the form and nominate the poets and writers. Contestants are encouraged to submit any prose or poetry to IMPAC-CSUS Young Writers 2008 at the state university closest to their county. Addresses are listed on the entry forms.

Entry forms were sent to all public, private, and parochial secondary schools this fall, but the forms and rules can also be downloaded from CTStateU.edu or CTYoungWriters.org.

Contacts include: Betsy McDonough, office of the president at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, for Fairfield and Litchfield Counties;

Dr Susan Gilmore, Department of English at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, for Hartford and Tolland Counties;

Dr Christopher Torockio, Department of English at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, for New London and Windham Counties; and

Dr Tim Parrish, creative writing coordinator at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, for Middlesex and New Haven Counties.

IMPAC, a leading global productivity firm, sponsors the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, which at 100,000 euros is the largest in the world for a single work of fiction.

The young writers competition in Connecticut has given more than $150,000 to Connecticut’s best young writers since 1998. About 4,000 young writers have participated in the program.

Poets and writers in each of Connecticut’s eight counties win $1,000 prizes annually, awarded during ceremonies at the four CSU System campuses. About a dozen finalists in prose and poetry from each county are invited to the regional ceremonies.

“We are pleased to work with IMPAC and the Young Writers Trust in recognizing the extraordinary writing of Connecticut’s young people,” said Dr David Carter, chancellor of the Connecticut State University System.

Regional events for spring 2008 are as follows: Monday, April 21, at WCSU for Fairfield and Litchfield Counties; Wednesday, April 23, at CCSU for Hartford and Tolland Counties; Monday, April 28, at ECSU for New London and Windham Counties; and Tuesday, April 29, at SCSU for Middlesex and New Haven Counties.

County winners will also be honored during the 11th annual dinner in June at the Litchfield Inn. The state winners in prose and poetry will be announced then and invited with a parent to a week of festivities in Ireland connected with the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Dublin Writers Festival.

Their work will also be considered for publication in Connecticut Review, the literary journal published by the CSU System.