Thank you to the Utah Division of Arts & Museums for compiling this information.
Conferences
Mountain West Arts Conference
Sponsored by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, a day of celebrating the arts with networking, workshops, performances, professional development, art experiences, and much more. Sessions on writing and literature. First Thursday of May.
The Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference
Held in June, this five-day conference is for all children’s authors seeking to be published and/or improve their work. Faculty varies each year. A five-day conference, an afternoon-only option is available.
Writers at Work Conference
Writers at Work invites you to join them in a historic setting where writers, writer/teachers, editors, and agents come together to share their ideas, craft, and fine writing. Conferences are open to all writers including beginners.
Southern Utah University Creative Writing/Creative Teaching
This conference is primarily held to provide workshops on the craft of writing prose and poetry as well as pedagogy workshops for high school teachers on using creative writing techniques to teach writing skills.
National Undergraduate Literature Conference
NULC gives undergraduates an opportunity to present papers both critical and creative, to an audience of peers from campuses across the country and to hear some of the most important writers in contemporary literature. Each April.
Competitions/Awards
Junior Creative Poetry Contest
Sponsored by the Utah State Poetry Society, the contest is for students grades 1 through 12 in Utah public, private and home schools . It’s assisted by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and affiliated with theNational Federation of State Poetry Societies and The Salt Lake Tribune. Entries must be postmarked after January 1 and before February 15 annually. Cash prizes are awarded.
Beehive Awards
The Beehive awards are presented by the Children’s Literature Association of Utah (CLAU). Nominations are accepted annually in the following categories: Picture Book Award, Children’s Book Award, Informational Book Award, Young Adult Book Award and Poetry Book Award.
The Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference Writing Competition and Fellowship Award
Offers a $1,000 prize to help further a writer’s work in progress in the writing/illustrating field. The winner will exhibit gifted writing ability, consistent long-term dedication to the craft and financial need. Deadline is usually in May.
The Utah Original Writing Competition (OWC)
Founded in 1958, this annual competition sponsored by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums identifies and awards Utah writers for works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry in the form of novels, collections of stories/poems, nonfiction book-length manuscripts (history/creative non-fiction, including collections of essays), individual short stories, individual essays, small collection of 10 poems and juvenile/young adult book-length manuscripts. Submissions must be original works and unpublished or accepted for publication at the time of entry. Open to all Utah residents. No submission fees.
Poetry Out Loud (POL)
Poetry out Loud is a national poetry recitation contest created by the National Endowment for the Arts. This event is a great opportunity for 9th-12th grade students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance.
Writers at Work Competition
Writers at Work offers an annual Fellowship Competition for emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Prizes include cash, publication in Quarterly West and a consultation with prominent editor or agent.
Irreantum Contest
The literary journal of the Association for Mormon Letters allows contestants to submit poetry, fiction and personal essays with possible cash prizes. Looks for LDS/Mormon-related content by Mormons or non-Mormons and/or any content from a writer who identifies him/herself as “Mormon.”
Whitney Awards
The Whitney Awards are a semi-independent non-profit organization affiliated with the LDStorymakers, a guild for LDS authors.
The Utah Book Award
The Utah book Award is a program of the Utah Center for the Book, a state affiliate of the National Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. Housed at the Utah Humanities Council, the Center’s annual awards program is administered by the Salt Lake City Library which originated the program in 1999. Nominations must be made by April 1 for books published (with an ISBN number) the previous calendar year. Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Young Adult and Juvenile categories are accepted. Must have a Utah connection in material or by virtue of the author’s residence in Utah.
Book Festivals
Utah Humanities Book Festival
The oldest and largest book festival in Utah, this annual statewide event takes place during the entire month of October (National Book Month) and typically features over 100 authors who appear in more than a dozen Utah communities. Most events are free and open to the public. The Salt Lake City Public Library downtown serves as the festival hub. Exhibitors may apply for tables on a select day at the Library during the Festival’s SLC Keynoter Day.
KSL Family Book Festival
The KSL Book Festival is presented at the Gateway Shopping Mall (SLC) in conjunction with the annual Chalk Arts Festival. Exhibitors accepted. Contact Amanda Kizerian at lovetoread@readtoday.com.
Journals
Saltfront
Saltfront is an arts and literary journal for environmental storytelling. They seek “eco-lyrical expressions” and stories about being human amid the ecological transformations taking place around the globe.
Irreantum
Irreantum is a review of Mormon literature and film, published twice annually (Fall/Winter, Spring/Summer) by the Association for Mormon Letters.
Quarterly West
A literature magazine created by the University of Utah. The magazine accepts online submissions of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
Western Humanities Review
A journal of contemporary literature and culture based out of the University of Utah’s English Department, the review accepts fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction and critical essays.
Sugarhouse Review
An independent poetry magazine based out of Salt Lake City. This particular journal is offered semi-annually and encourages all interested writers to submit their poetry.
Ellipsis
A literature and art journal published each April by the students of Westminster College in Salt Lake City (since 1967). Contributors are paid for their work and eligible for a prize.
Weber: The Contemporary West
A bi-annual journal of the arts and humanities published at Weber State University. Fiction, poetry, commentary, reviews, photos and interviews are accepted.
Enormous Rooms
A University of Utah journal, Enormus Rooms is produced by undergraduate students. The magazine accepts online submissions by U. of U. undergraduates in fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual art.
Presses
University of Utah Press
This press invites submission of proposals and manuscripts in the areas of anthropology and archaeology; Mesoamerican, American Indian, Mormon and Middle East Studies; regional and Utah guidebooks; Natural history and nature writing; general titles of regional interest, American West, Utah and environmental history; and autobiography/memoirs.
Utah State University Press
A refereed scholarly press, the Utah State University Press publishes principally folklore studies, western history, composition studies and regional studies and works, including a small number of literary works.
Deseret Book
Deseret Book publishes many kinds of books and other products that reflect the values espoused by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Shadow Mountain
Shadow Mountain is a publisher of children’s fantasy as well as children’s picture books, adult inspiration, fiction, history and business titles. “Committed to providing books that offer values-based messages that strengthen individuals, families and society.” (A Deseret Book imprint)
Torrey House: Writing the New West
An independent book publisher of literary fiction and creative nonfiction, Torrey House focuses on works concerning the environment, people, cultures and resource management issues of the Colorado Plateau and the American West.
Cedar Fort
Cedar Fort is an independent publisher of LDS-oriented/LDS-values books.
Signature Books
Founded in 1980, Signature Books publishes works that promote the study of Mormonism and related issues pertaining to the Rocky Mountain area. Its specialties include biographies, documentary references, personal essays, regional histories, fiction and humor.
Questions?
Contact Alyssa Hickman Grove at agrove@utah.gov or 801.236.7548
Utah Cultural Alliance 