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2025 Contest Winners Interviews
From Monic Ductan, 2025 Poetry Winner 1. What inspired you to write your piece? I wrote “Mama Took Grandma to Vote for Kennedy” after a conversation I had with my mother. She told me that grandma was despondent after Kennedy was killed. I tried to reconcile that with what I know about American history and…
Read MoreNew Orleans Writing Marathon
TWFest is proud to offer two New Orleans Writing Marathons as part of our programming. Sign up below, and continue reading for more about the NOWM. Background: In her book, Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg introduced the idea of timed writing sessions, each followed by a “read-around” where participants, one by one, shared their…
Read MoreAnnell López Interview
Interview with TWFest 2025 Very Short Fiction Judge, Annell López By Reine Dugas What is it about a story that first captures your interest? I love feeling grounded right from the start. I love a great opening that wastes no time. I appreciate it when a writer drops me in the middle of the…
Read MoreKarisma Price Interview
Interview with TWFest 2025 Poetry Judge, Karisma Price By Reine Dugas What is it about a poem that first captures your interest? I’m a sucker for beautiful language and the ways poets can “weird” a phrase. Poetry does not always have to follow chronological order or logic; therefore, poetry can both bend/play with how…
Read MoreJustin Maxwell Interview
Interview with TWFest 2025 One-Act Play Judge, Justin Maxwell By Reine Dugas What is it about reading a play that first captures your interest? I’m in it for the novelty! I want to see something that I’ve never seen before. I’m happiest when I walk out of a theatre asking: What the hell was…
Read MoreChin-Sun Lee Interview
Interview with TWFest 2025 Fiction Judge, Chin-Sun Lee By Reine Dugas What is it about a story that first captures your interest? This is a hard thing to quantify, because every story is different and likewise, every beginning. That said, within the first few sentences, I need to feel a certain surefootedness; a sense…
Read More2024 Contest Winner Interviews
From K.W. Oxnard, our 2024 Fiction Winner. Tell us a little bit about the piece that won: what inspired you to write it, a bit about the process it went through, etc. The germ of “Belle of the Ball” had been clawing at the soil in my brain for years—decades, if you include my own…
Read MoreMeet Our 2024 SAS Fiction Judge Greg Herren!
Learn more about this year’s SAS Fiction judge, Greg Herren, in his interview by our publicist, Reine Dugas. What is it about a story that first captures your interest? A strong opening and beautiful use of language. What are you always happy to see in a short story? (a symbol, theme, place, literary device) I…
Read MoreAll Contest Guidelines
TWF Fiction Contest Grand Prize $1,500 Domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the Festival in New Orleans VIP All-Access Festival pass for the next Festival ($600 value) Public reading at the next Festival Publication in French Quarter Journal Photo and bio on our website for approx. one year Interview feature…
Read More2025 SASFest Feedback
We hope you enjoyed the 2025 Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival. We’d love to hear from you! The survey below provides us with vital information for our grants, grant reports, and for future planning. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
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