Short Story Contest 2025-2026

LCPL Short Story Contest logo

Thanks for participating this year!

Congratulations to the 2026 finalists! Read their stories here:

The submission period for our annual writing contest was Monday, Dec. 15, through Sunday, Feb. 15. Our awards ceremonies were held Saturday, May 9, at Eagle Ridge Middle School, with guest author Meg Medina. This contest was open to teens and adults in Loudoun County and the nearby regions listed below in our FAQ.

 

2025-2026 WINNERS

Congratulations to the 2025-2026 finalists! Read their stories here:

Adult

First place
Fair Chase Pigtopia by Joan Kennedy

Second place
Man O War by Zachary Taylor

Third place
Hope by Debra Snyder

Fourth place
Almost Android Agnes by Victoria Nordyke

Fifth place
The Numbers by Amollie Stoermer

Honorable mentions
The Brownstone by Carolyn Cullen
Meagain by Julia Saba
Salvation by Linda Jacobsen
Stains of Life by Gary DeThomasis

High School

First place
Blank Slate by Leia Hatem

Second place
Coconut Trees Remember by Keshav Ganugapati

Third place
Look in the Mirror and Tell Me What You See by Ellie Xu

Fourth place
Dispatched by Talia Knutsen

Fifth place
The Clockmaker's Apprentice by Diya Saxena

Honorable mentions
The Clock of Many Hands by Shannon Van Horn
The Day the Sun Didn't Rise by Allison DuVal
Remembering On Purpose by Ajrin Nawaz
The Space You Leave Behind by Katherine Varachi
Unwanted Summer by Alyssa Chandler

Middle School

First place
La Letra by Kaleb Ricce Carrillo

Second place
The Burnt Archive by Saanvi Thota

Third place
Jersey on the Bench by Sara Haider

Fourth place
When Life is a Fairytale by Grace Parsons

Fifth place
The Whispering Library by Manya Saxena

Honorable mentions
The Chair and the Girl by Alice Holzrichter
Cursed Winter by Haidar Anbari
Flight 365 by Navyaa Deepak and Diya Venugopal
Symbiosis by Navya Srivastava
Uranium Heart by Harrison Baracat-Donovan