Short Story Contest

5th Annual Animal Services Tails of Hope Short Story Writing Contest Winners

Contest Details

Join us, the Pickering Public Library and Hifive Kids Dental & Braces and write a story about your furry friend. If you don't have a furry friend, that's okay, use your imagination and create an animal related story of your own. Select stories will be professionally published with one copy going to the child, and another becoming part of a permanent collection that will be used at the library and future animal related programming. Interested children should register for the program in advance to learn more about the criteria and deadlines.

3 Age Categories

• 5-7 yrs
• 8-10 yrs
• 11 - 12 yrs

Guidelines for submission: 

• All stories must have a biography of the author.
• Images must have no watermarks.
• Only emailed stories will be accepted. 
• Please do not submit cellphone pictures of your story for quality purposes.

Not sure where to start? Here is what you need to know!

Before submitting your story make sure your story has the following:

• Cover (Title/Written by…you!)
• Stories must be no more than 16 pages long (can be pictures, drawings, cartoons…be creative!)
• Write a dedication (to my dog Oakley/for my cat Trixie)
• Artist Bio/Self-portrait (write a line about yourself - draw a picture of yourself and your pet)
• Each page should be 8.5 x 11
• Contest opens in early May and you have until July 13th to submit your short story

Tails of Hope Short Story Contest: How to Workshop

Thursday May 29, 2025 from 4:30 - 5:30 at Library Central Branch in the Auditorium

Are you interested in entering the Tails of Hope Short Story contest, but you don't know where to start? Join us for a how-to workshop on writing your own book with local Pickering author, Sue Palmer.

After retirement from teaching Sue has developed an interest in writing stories. Following the lead of a clever GoldenDoodle named Ben, Sue has created several delightful children’s stories in Ben’s voice, the first about hiking in the forest. The book series is called “Just Ben” and her first published book is “Just Ben Goes to the Forest”. You can find Ben and Sue hiking in Durham Forest on a Sunday afternoon Spruce Trail where Ben leads the hike.

Registration will open soon!