Words for a Win

Short Story Contest

Submissions Close November 24, 2026

Yukon Words is pleased to announce our Fall 2026 Words for a Win writing contest!

Whether you write poetry or non-fiction, we want to read your work. Share something bold, personal, thoughtful, funny, unexpected or uniquely yours.

With two genres, four prizes and four exciting judges, Words for a Win is a chance to share your writing and be part of Yukon’s literary community.

Contest at a Glance

Two genres

  • Poetry

  • Non-fiction

Four exciting judges

Four prizes

  • First Prize: $500 in each genre

  • Second Prize: $200 in each genre

First Prize winners will be invited to read at Pivot's event, Short Works for Quiet Nights, curated by Yukon Words.

Second Prize winners will be invited to read as headliners at a Yukon Words, Words Out Loud event.

Both events will take place in January 2027.

Submission fee: $15

Deadline: Monday, November 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM Yukon Time

Who Can Enter

To enter, you must:

  • Be a minimum of 19 years old by December 31, 2026.

  • Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

  • Be a resident of the Yukon or Atlin, BC.

  • Submit only one entry, in one genre.

There are no age categories.

Submission Requirements

Non-fiction

Maximum 2,000 words

Poetry

Maximum 3 pages

All submissions

  • All submissions must be in English.

  • No audio recording submissions will be accepted.

  • Submissions will be anonymous.

  • Previously published material is not eligible.

  • If your submission was written or edited (for anything other than grammar and spelling) with the use of LLMs/AI, this is not the right contest for you. Your submission implies your acceptance and compliance with these terms.

How to Submit

Step 1

Pay the $15 entry fee

Payment must be received before your entry can be accepted. Send an e-transfer to YukonWordsSociety@gmail.com, or email us to arrange an in-person payment.

Step 2

Submit your entry by email

Email YukonWordsSociety@gmail.com with:

  • Your full name

  • Pen name, if applicable

  • Title of your submission

  • Email address

  • Phone number

  • Your submission attached, ideally as a PDF. (.rtf, .doc, and .docx files are also accepted.)

Important: Your submission document must not include any identifying information, including your name, initials, email address, mailing address, or phone number.

Step 3

Watch for confirmation

You’ll receive confirmation that your entry was received within 72 hours.

Contest Rules

  • Entries will be judged solely on artistic merit. Decisions of the judges are final.

  • We cannot commit to providing any feedback on your submission.

  • The contest is anonymous.

  • Previously published material is not eligible.

  • If your submission was written or edited (for anything other than grammar and spelling) with the use of LLMs/AI, this is not the right contest for you.. Please confirm that your story is entirely original, written and revised by you.

Diversity

While submissions are anonymous, we want to ensure a diversity of applications from across the Yukon and Atlin. Give us your unique thoughts. Express your magical, colourful self. Diversity is appreciated and encouraged at Yukon Words.

Meet the Judges

  • Eva Holland

    (Non-Fiction Judge)

    Eva Holland is a freelance writer and editor based in Whitehorse, Yukon. She is the Western Canada Editor for Canadian Geographic magazine, and her writing has also appeared in the New York Times Magazine, The Walrus, Outside, WIRED, National Geographic, and many other outlets in print or online. She is also the author of two books: Nerve, on the science of fear, and No Sleep 'Til Fairbanks, a collection of her magazine work about the North.

  • Harrison Mooney

    (Non-Fiction Judge)

    Harrison Mooney is an award-winning author and journalist from the Pacific Northwest. His best-selling memoir, Invisible Boy, was the winner of the 2023 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for nonfiction. His writing has been featured in the New York Times, the National Post, the Guardian, Maclean’s and The Tyee, where he works as an associate editor. He lives in East Vancouver with his family.ks: Nerve, on the science of fear, and No Sleep 'Til Fairbanks, a collection of her magazine work about the North.

  • Peter Jickling

    (Poetry Judge)

    Peter Jickling is a Whitehorse-based writer. His play, Syphilis: A Love Story, premiered in 2011 and won Best Comedy at the 2013 Victoria Fringe Festival. Downtown Flirt, his debut poetry collection, was published by Guernica Editions in 2019. He co-wrote the screenplay for From Me to You, a Yukon-made feature film due for release in 2027. In May 2026, Jickling recorded a live spoken word album titled Peter Jickling Reads His Poems About Being Crippled. This is also due for release in 2027.

  • Dawn Macdonald

    (Poetry Judge)

    Dawn Macdonald grew up in Mount Lorne and lives in Whitehorse. Her poetry collection Northerny (University of Alberta Press) won the 2025 Canadian First Book Prize and was longlisted for the Nelson Ball Prize. Her most recent publication is the chapbook Weeds of Canada (above/ground press).

Meet Our 2024 Winner.

Meet Our 2024 Winner.

Jaime Mellott

Jaime Mellott (she/her) lives in Whitehorse with her husband, teenagers, and big, hairy dog.

Jaime co-founded the Artists Legal Outreach, which provides free legal advice to artists. For her pro-bono work, Jaime was awarded Pro-Bono Lawyer of the Year (Solicitor’s Roster).  Jaime has performed a number of original works at storytelling events in Victoria, Pender Island, and Whitehorse.

Thank You to Our Funder