With the amazing support of Rainbow New Zealand Charitable Trust, Same Same but Different are again running a short fiction writing award. From 2020 it celebrates the life and work of our founder, Peter Wells.

First prize is $1000 cash for the winning story, $500 for the runner up and $500 cash for the best writing from a promising young writer aged under 25. This makes it one of the leading short fiction competitions in Aotearoa. That it is only for LGBTQI writers offers an incredible opportunity to upskill and show your writing talent. Short fiction is demanding and we are looking for quality writing.

The contest history includes The Wallace Foundation Short Fiction Contest, which was first awarded in 2016, after a couple of years as the express writing contest.  It gives New Zealand LGBTQI writers an opportunity to prove their creative skills and to publish and publicise their work in a safe and supportive environment. At the Auckland Writers Festival in 2019, Queer American Writer, Alexander Chee encouraged us all to write stories and enter contests because in doing so we find our own voices and gain satisfaction irrespective of the result of the competition.

“Finding your future in Aotearoa today” is our theme. Other than a word limit of 2000 words there are no other creative restrictions; excellence is what is being looked for and LGBTQI subject matter may be approached tangentially. Past winners have demonstrated craftmanship and good storytelling. We are not looking for flag waving or sob stories: fiction is about inventiveness, imagination and the power and use of language.
 
The word limit is a maximum of 2000 words and should not be exceeded. Stories must exceed 1200 words. Our judges this year are Simie Simpson and Michael Giacon. Simie is a librarian and was a judge for the 2019 NZ Post Book Awards, while Michael is a poet, teacher and mentor in creative writing. Both have mana in the writing community and the LGBTQI worlds. They are looking for outstanding sparks of creative brilliance. The judges’ decision is final.

Please state in your covering email if you are eligible for the promising young writer award. All entries will be judged for the overall contest winner.
Entries will close 5 January 2020, with the winners being announced and awarded during our fifth samesame but different LGBTQI writers festival, 14-15 February 2020
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Go with your heart and share your chosen story. We want to hear your stories.

You have only a few weeks to submit your entry (or entries) for this year’s Wallace Foundation Short Fiction Contest. The prize money has been increased this year: a first prize of $1000 for the winning story, $500 for the runner-up and $500 for the best entry by a promising young writer aged under 25.
Stories must be original, unpublished works of fiction and may be on any theme. The word limit is 2000 words. Entries must be submitted by 31 March 2019.

Peter Wells has stepped aside as a judge to focus on enjoying the life he has left. The judges this year are experienced writers Brendan Weir and Paula Boock, with the winners to be announced in May during the Auckland Writers Festival.
For further information on how to submit your
entry, please review the full list of rules and conditions below.