Laurier Stedman Prize

The Laurier Stedman Prize is one of the richest writing contests for high school students in the entire world. It is funded by a gift from Brantford’s Mary Stedman and administered by the English program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Laurier’s Brantford campus.

If you have a story written, or want to write a story and have it considered for this competition, talk to any English teacher at your high school in the Grand Erie or BHNCD school board!

How It Works

The contest is open to secondary school students in the catchment area of the Grand Erie or Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board.

This contest is for student works that are:

• original
• unpublished
• short, fictional narratives of 1,500 words or less
• written in English

How to Participate

If you're a student at a participating high school, talk to one of your English teachers to get started. Your school will choose a maximum of four stories to enter in the contest, which runs once every two years.

All entries will be evaluated by juries administered by faculty members, staff and students of Laurier’s Brantford campus. A jury made up of past Laurier Stedman Prize winners and well known authors will evaluate the finalists. The winning stories will be published on the university website. 

Prizes

Cash prizes (see below) will be given to the top six original short story submissions, and the remaining stories in the top 10 will be awarded a merchandise prize. All stories entered in the contest by their schools will receive a participation prize.

• First place (one awarded): $3,500 cash prize
• Second place (two awarded): $2,500 cash prize
• Third place (three awarded): $1,500 cash prize