The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts and the Young Writers League (YoWL) are seeking fiction, non-fiction, and poetry entries for the “Art of Writing” contest. The contest is open to legal residents of Georgia and Florida. Participants must be between the ages of 11 and 18 at time of entry. The contest is hosted annually and is sponsored in part by the Valdosta United Way. Each year, a different theme that inspires young people to express themselves concerning important topics is chosen. The theme for the third annual competition is “I Have a Dream.”

The deadline for entry into the competition has been extended to Tues., Jan. 31, 2023, to allow more students to participate in the event. Judging will be led by respected author and literary educator Dr. Cheryl Carvajal. Carvajal will choose additional judges per category. All judges will review and evaluate submissions based on pre-determined rubrics for each genre. Winners are chosen based on the merit and quality of their entries. Winning submissions and all honorable mentions will be announced at the Youth Art Month Reception at the Turner Center, 527 N. Patterson Street, on Sun., Feb. 26, 2023. The event will be hosted from 1-4 pm, with the winners announced at 3 pm.

For contest details, download the free Discord app from any mobile App store or from the link provided at turnercenter.org/for-youth-yowl/. No fees are required to participate in YoWL or to submit entries for the “Art of Writing” contest. Call 229-247-2787 for more information.