Ethos Literacy opens submissions for its Short Short Story Contest

WRITING CONTEST

Albuquerque-based Ethos Literacy announces its sixth annual Short Short Story Contest. The flash fiction contest aims to raise awareness and funds for its free literacy and English language tutoring in other basic skills for teens 16 and older who have left school and for adults in Albuquerque.

The challenge for this year’s contest is to write a maximum 100-word story on one of four topics — envy, eyeglasses, nightmares or turtles.

Ethos Literacy will award a total of six cash prizes, including a $200 grand prize for Best of Contest, four $100 Best of Topic Prizes and a $100 Youth Prize for writers age 14 and younger.

The winning and honorable mention stories will be published in an e-magazine.

The entry fee is $10 per story. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. March 1.

For more information on the contest, including submission guidelines and prize details, go to ethosliteracy.org/6thcontest.

“Our annual Short Short Story Contest is a fun and creative way to engage the community while supporting a crucial cause,” Margaret Barker, founder and co-president of Ethos Literacy, said in a news release.

“Through its one-on-one (and small group) tutoring programs, Ethos Literacy equips its students with essential skills, offering them a pathway to greater opportunities and economic stability.”

Barker noted that writers from every state and 22 countries have participated in past Ethos Literacy contests.

TREASURE HOUSE BOOKS & GIFTS

Rosalie Rayburn will read from and sign copies of “Windswept,” her third Digger Doyle Mystery set in New Mexico, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at Treasure House Books & Gifts, 2012 South Plaza St. NW, Old Town.

The first book in the Digger Doyle series, “The Power of Rain,” won a National Federation of Press Women Award and the second volume, “The Sunshine Solution” won a SouthWest Writers Contest first-place award.

Rayburn was a staff writer for the Albuquerque Journal for many years.

She retired from a career in journalism and now lives in Portugal.

POETRY READING

Rebecca Aronson and Erica Photiades, both of Albuquerque, are the featured poets reading at Fixed and Free’s online event on Thursday, Jan. 23.

Anyone interested in learning how to attend or possibly read at the Zoom event should contact Billy Brown by emailing him at welbert53@aol.com or by calling 505-401-8139.

The event starts at 5:45 p.m and runs until 8:30 p.m. However, Brown asks that anyone interested in the event join before the start time.