Bucks County Community College (BCCC) is now welcoming submissions for its annual short fiction and poetry contests, inviting Bucks County high school students to submit their work for cash prizes and the chance to read at public events.
Participation in both contests is free. Students in grades 9 through 12 who attend a high school in Bucks County or who reside in Bucks County may enter. Home-schooled students living in Bucks County are also eligible. Students who have previously won are not permitted to participate again.
For 2026, the ninth annual Bucks County Short Fiction Contest for High School Students invites eligible residents of Bucks County, PA, and students enrolled in high schools within the county to submit one original short story. Each entry must be between five and 10 double-spaced pages, approximately 1,450 to 2,400 words, prepared in 12-point Times New Roman with standard margins. Files must be submitted in DOC or DOCX format. The story title is required in the upper right-hand corner, and the writer’s name must not appear anywhere in the manuscript.
All submissions must be entirely original and previously unpublished, including online blogs or other digital publications. Fan fiction, defined as stories based on existing books, movies, or other media, is not accepted. The use of artificial intelligence tools, including Grammarly, is strictly prohibited. Entries that do not comply with the stated requirements may be disqualified, and the judges’ decisions are final.
Completed Entry Forms and manuscripts must be submitted electronically by 12 p.m. (noon) on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. Paper submissions will not be accepted.
Cash honorariums will be awarded in three categories: $200 for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place. Those selected as winners will read from their work during a campus celebration scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, at 7 p.m., part of the college’s April event.
All entrants will receive notification from the Director of the BCCC Short Fiction Contest through the phone number or email address listed on their Entry Form. Participants are advised to monitor both during the week following the submission deadline in the event their file cannot be accessed.
Bucks County Community College sponsors the short fiction contest with support from its School of Language and Literature. Faculty members from the school serve as judges. Professor Elizabeth Luciano is the contest director and can be contacted at [email protected].
The college also released the results of the Spring 2025 Short Fiction Contest. Olivia Beno, a senior at Pennsbury High School, earned first place for “The Lake.” Sarah Lueck, a junior at Central Bucks High School West, received second place for “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Sophia Ogden, a junior at Pennridge High School, placed third for “On the Corner of Turpin and Thistledown.” The final selection was made by Dr. Cecile Kandl Anderson of the School of Language and Literature. The winning entries are “The Lake,” “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and “On the Corner of Turpin and Thistledown.”
Alongside the short fiction competition, BCCC is accepting entries for the 39th Annual High School Poet of the Year contest through Friday, March 13. Students may submit up to three original poems.
The winner of the poetry competition will receive $300, a proclamation from the Bucks County Commissioners, and the opportunity to read at a public reception. Runners-up and finalists will also be invited to read at the event.
Judging will be conducted by 2025 Bucks County Poet Laureate Madeline Marriott and 2024 laureate Lake Angela. The contest is administered by the Bucks County Poet Laureate program under the direction of Dr. Ethel Rackin. An online entry form is available on the High School Poet of the Year webpage. Dr. Rackin may be reached at [email protected] for additional information.
