Literary Festival Writer's Contest Submissions

For many in Essex County, the Literary Festival’s annual writing contest is a highlight of the several-day event. Those who enter actively support the festival’s mission to promote and foster the craft of the written word in Marblehead and surrounding communities. For admirers of entrants’ efforts, plan to hear our winners read their essays, poems, and short stories in the Lee Mansion Upper Garden on July 4.

The annual contest is open to all residents of Essex County, Massachusetts, who are writers of fiction, nonfiction (including memoir and personal essay) and poetry. Submitted work may not have been previously published unless on a personal blog, personal website, or in another self-produced publication. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. The Literary Festival welcomes and encourages entries from writers of all backgrounds, groups, and identities. 

We reserve the right to publish winning works on the Marblehead Festival of Arts website, in other Festival publications, and in local newspapers, but the copyright belongs to the author. The Literary Festival does not retain rights to the work after we publish it.

Submission Rules and Guidelines

​The submission fee is $15 per entry (and will require a credit card number to facilitate payment). You may submit up to three works. You are also welcome to submit in multiple categories. There is no fee for student (18 years and under) entries.

Agreements

​By entering the Literary Festival Writing Contest, you agree that:

1. Your submission is your own original work.

2. You have not used AI technology in generating or revising the work. The Marblehead Festival of Arts celebrates the creative vitality of Essex County and will only accept submitted entries that are (and can be defended as) conceived and created by the submitter. Therefore, the Marblehead Festival of Arts prohibits the use of AI, in any form, for all submitted work.

3. No one else owns the rights to publish said work.

4. If you are one of the winners, you grant Marblehead Festival of Arts the right to publish said work, unless you withdraw your work prior to our announcement of winners. Outside of publication by the Marblehead Festival of Arts Literary Festival, all rights revert to the author.

Formatting Requirements

• Do not include your name in the document you upload​.

• Entries for all categories must be submitted in a legible 12-point font as a Word or Google doc.

  
  

Guidelines for length of entries (for both student and adult categories)

• Fiction: Short stories or novel stand-alone chapters/excerpts may be no longer than 3,000 words.

• Nonfiction: Essays, brief memoirs, and other nonfiction submissions may be no longer than 3,000 words.

• Poetry: Each poem may be a maximum of 32 lines.

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Submission Dates

Submissions will be accepted from Wednesday, April 1 through midnight on Sunday, May 24, 2026.

Prizes

The contest recognizes the strongest submissions, as deemed by our judges, with recognition in the following categories. Note that the student prize is sponsored by Abbot Public Library.

Adult

• First place in each category: $100, ribbon and certificate

• Second place in each category: ribbon and certificate

• Honorable mentions: ribbon and certificate

  
  

Student (18 and under)

• First place in each category: $50, ribbon and certificate

• Second place in each category: ribbon and certificate

• Honorable mentions: ribbon and certificate