Events & Workshops

The Guild Prize is an exclusive writing contest for our members in flash fiction (fiction at or below 500 words) and poetry. This contest is open to any current Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild member living in Saskatchewan or elsewhere. The Guild Prize is a contest that runs once a year with a new theme for each round. Two winners will be selected, one for each genre category.

The 2025 Guild Prize theme is “survival.”

The stories and poems we’re interested in for the Guild Prize reflect on the theme of “survival.” This might include reflections on what survival means for you, how a person may survive, or situations that force a person to need to survive. Any way you conceive of survival is welcome.

The winners of The Guild Prize will receive an award of $250 plus paid publication in the Summer 2025 issue of Freelance magazine.

Contest submission deadline is January 13 at midnight.

Contest Guidelines

This contest is open to current Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild members who may be living in Saskatchewan or elsewhere.

Members may submit up to three flash fiction entries or up to three poems of a maximum of 100 lines each.

The fee for entry is $10 for one entry, or $25 for up to three entries.

Each entry must be original, unpublished, not submitted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, nor accepted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, nor entered simultaneously in any other contest or competition.

Work that has appeared online is considered published and is not eligible.

Entries must be submitted with a completed online application form. Up to three entries may be submitted with the application form. You may submit work in both categories.

All entries in this contest will be judged anonymously, on merit alone.

Do not print, type, or write your name on the text pages of your entry.

The judge’s decision is final.

Entries must follow these guidelines:

• Entries must be in English
• 12-point font
• Do NOT include your name
• Use plain text fonts (i.e. Times New Roman, Arial or Courier) in black
• Be 500 words or less  for Flash Fiction entries; Poems must not exceed 100 lines
• Double-spaced with 1-inch margins for Flash Fiction entries; poems can be single-spaced
• Must be in Word docx files – we will not accept PDF, Google docs, Pages or other file formats
• Mailed, faxed or paper entries will not be accepted  
• Each flash fiction story or poem must be attached to the application form as an INDIVIDUAL Word file. For example, for three entries, there should be three individual files

Please submit payment online, or call the SWG Office at 306-791-7740 to make alternate payment arrangements.

The winning entry will be published in the Summer 2025 issue of Freelance magazine and will be paid current Freelance rates for their publication. The name and title of one honourable mention in each genre category will be named in the Summer 2025 issue of Freelance.

The name of the judges will be announced when the winners are announced.