Iowa Review's Final Veterans-Lit Contest Opens May 1

Jeff Sharlet during service in Vietnam

The submissions window for a third and reportedly final Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans writing contest opens Sun., May 1, 2016 and closes June 15. The contest is open to any service member or veteran writing in any genre, about any subject matter. (Current students, faculty, or staff of the University of Iowa, however, are not eligible to enter the contest.)

The contest is hosted by The Iowa Review and made possible by the family of Jeff Sharlet (1942–1969), a Vietnam veteran and anti-war writer and activist. The 2016 contest is underwritten by an Art Works Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

In past iterations of the contest, entry fee has been $15, with a limited number of fee-waivers available for entrants with financial need. Current website information regarding the 2016 contest, however, does not mention entry fees.

Prizes may also have changed: This year, first place is $1,000 plus publication in the Spring 2017 issue of The Iowa Review. Second place is $750. Finally, three runners-up will receive $500 each.

Entrants should submit an original double-spaced manuscript in any genre (poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction) of up to 20 pages. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, although the editors request timely notification if the work is later accepted elsewhere.

Submissions may be made either on-line or via postal mail. Full contest rules and details here.

A Submittable page for on-line submissions is here.

The contest and publication have previously been mentioned on the Red Bull Rising blog here and here.

Finalists will be selected by the editors of The Iowa Review. A winner will be selected by the guest judge. This year's guest judge is Phil Klay (rhymes with "fly"), a former U.S. Marine officer and recipient of the National Book Award for fiction in 2014.

A Facebook page for The Iowa Review is here.