on the Verge (OTV) Writing Contest showcases and celebrates emerging UVic student voices with an annual theme of equity, diversity, and human rights. The contest is co-sponsored by UVic Libraries and Equity and Human Rights (EQHR) with significant support from other units on campus. There is $1600 total in cash prizes ($250 first place; $150 second place) for all four categories (Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Spoken Word), which is evaluated by a committee composed of an annual celebrity judge and members from the Libraries and EQHR. Entries are evaluated on the following criteria, including: excellence and proficiency in writing and technique; engagement with the theme in a meaningful way; awareness of the theme of equity, diversity, and human rights dimensions; and fits within the word/time limits for submission.

Entry Guidelines

• Open to UVic students only
• Only one entry per student will be accepted
• Graphic novel/comic formats will be accepted
• Visual and graphic works are eligible
• Dramatic monologues are eligible
• Submissions must be original and unpublished

Submission Requirements

• Poetry (150 lines maximum)
• Fiction (1500 words maximum)
• Non-fiction (1500 words maximum)
• Spoken word (3-minute maximum; video or audio file formats accepted)

Copyright Notice

All authors agree to publish their winning entries in the Arbutus Review, and have their entries be preserved in UVicSpace (UVic Libraries’ open access institutional repository). Authors contributing to the Arbutus Review agree to release their articles under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 Unported license. This licence allows anyone to share their work (copy, distribute, transmit) and to adapt it for non-commercial purposes provided that appropriate attribution is given, and that in the event of reuse or distribution, the terms of this license are made clear.  Authors retain copyright of their work and grant the journal right of first publication. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

Sponsors

OTV is made possible by contributions from UVic Libraries, EQHR, VPAC, and the following Faculty and Departmental sponsors: Business, Continuing Studies, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Humanities, Human and Social Development, Law, Science, Social Sciences, and the UVic Writing Department.