Celebrate the freedom to read in Forest Park!
‘Use Your Voice’ Writing Contest in celebration of Banned Books Week 2022
The Forest Park Arts Alliance (FPAA) and the Forest Park Public Library (FPPL) are pleased to announce the first Forest Park ‘Use Your Voice’ Writing Contest.
“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker. “The Hate You Give” by Angie Thomas. “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak. “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood. These are just a few titles that have been banned or challenged over the years.
Let’s celebrate the freedom of expression and open access to information together as a community by speaking up on why we love to read!
- Write-In @ Duffy’s – Wednesday September 7, 6:30-8:30 pm
Come celebrate your freedom to read (and write) by dropping in to this fun write-in for the adult crowd, hosted by FPAA and FPPL, to find inspiration and support for creating a short piece for FP’s first ‘Use Your Voice’ Writing Contest.
- Young Adult Write-In @ Brown Cow – Thursday September 8, 4:30-6 pm
Writers ages 14-17, come celebrate your freedom to read (and write) by dropping in to this fun write-in, hosted by FPPL, to find inspiration and support for creating a short piece for FP’s first ‘Use Your Voice’ Writing Contest.
- Contest Submission Deadline – Sunday September 18
Winners will be published in the Forest Park Review! We are accepting entries in two categories: Ages 14 through 17, and ages 18 and up. Bring your work to the Library or submit online.
- ‘Use Your Voice’ Celebration featuring author Jarrett Dapier @ Centuries & Sleuths – Friday September 23 at 5:30 pm
The author of Mr. Watson’s Chickens, The Most Haunted House in America, and a forthcoming graphic novel on censorship is the featured speaker at this event at local bookstore Centuries & Sleuths. We’ll announce winners of the Use Your Voice Contest and honor all the Forest Park writers who participated.
‘Use Your Voice’ Writing Contest Theme
Participants are asked to respond to the following prompt: Use your voice! What does your freedom as a reader mean to you?
You are free to answer this in any way in under 500 words. Tell us about your favorite book or author and how they’ve changed you. Maybe you want to imagine your favorite book and what it would be like if that book didn’t exist.
We’re all about freedom of expression, so feel free to get creative with these (or other!) ideas in your response:
- Write an op-ed for your local newspaper about your right to read.
- Write a letter to your favorite author.
- Write a poem.
- Create a work of very short “flash” fanfiction based on the style of your favorite book or author.
- Imagine meeting your favorite author or character from a book. Write about the encounter.
- Let a line from a book or poem inspire you
‘Use Your Voice’ Writing Contest Guidelines
- Winners will be published in the Forest Park Review!
- There is no fee to enter.
- Each individual is limited to three entries. The limit is 500 words.
- We will accept entries in two categories: Ages 14 through 17, and ages 18 and up. We want to get adults to share their voices!
- Work must be 100% unique and unplagiarized, though you may use quotes from books or other sources as long as you indicate them as such.
- Entries will be read and evaluated by a panel of judges who will be announced before the event.
- Entries will be accepted through 9 a.m. on September 18.
- Winners will be announced during the FPAA and FPPL Banned Books Week Celebration.
- Submissions can be made through this form or delivered to a dropbox at the library.
Questions? Contact forestparkarts@gmail.com.