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Creative Writing Celebration
The Cochise Community Creative Writing Celebration brings published writers in several genres, such as poetry, novels, creative nonfiction, juvenile fiction, and screenwriting, to present hands-on workshops to aspiring writers from the community. Celebration participants are also invited to enter a writing contest in three categories: poetry, short story (fiction) and memoir (nonfiction). Cash prizes will be awarded.
News Release: Writers of all ages invited to enter Cochise College’s 2026 Writing Contests
Entries are now open for the 2026 Cochise College Creative Writing Celebration Writing Contest and Kids Writing Contest. Writers can submit their entries online through the college website at https://www.cochise.edu/cwc/ until Friday, March 13, 2026.
“These contests get so many entries from so many talented writers in Cochise County,” said Alex O’Meara, director of both writing contests that are part of the Cochise College Creative Writing Celebration. “It’s exciting to see so much great work submitted each year.”
The Writing Contest takes entries from Cochise County in poetry, nonfiction and fiction. There are three cash prizes in each category with $50 for third, $100 for second, and $200 for first place. Additionally, each winning entry will be published in The Mirage (the Cochise College Literary and Arts magazine), and in the Herald/ Review Media.
Each entry in the Contest is also automatically considered for publication in the Mirage Literary and Arts magazine.
There are three categories for the Kids Writing Contest as well. They Contest takes entries from Cochise County residents age 18 and under and the categories are grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. The top three entries in each category receive a certificate of merit and the winning entry in each category will be published in the Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review.
Complete rules and guidelines for both contests are available on the Cochise College website for the Creative Writing Celebration at https://www.cochise.edu/cwc/.
Anyone wishing to attend the Celebration on April 27, 2026, at the Cochise College Sierra Vista Campus can also register online.
Entries for the Writing Contest are judged by Cochise College faculty. Entries for the Kids Writing Contest are judged by librarians from several Cochise County libraries, including the Copper Queen Library and the Sierra Vista Public Library.
Contest Guidelines
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Herald/Review Media Writing Contest - Creative Writing Celebration
Cochise County residents are invited to enter a writing contest sponsored by Herald/Review Media in three categories: poetry, short story (fiction) and memoir (nonfiction).
Cash prizes will be awarded in each category as follows:
- First place: $200
- Second place: $100
- Third place: $50
First place winners in each category (for the Writing Contest, but not for the Kids Writing Contest) will be published in The Mirage (the Cochise College Literary and Arts magazine), and in the Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review.
The deadline for all entries to the contest is Friday, March 13, 2026.
Writing Contest Guidelines:
- The Writing Contest is open only to Cochise County residents.
- All submitted writing must be the original, unpublished work of the person entering the contest. Any work that has been previously published will not be considered for entry.
- All submitted work will also be considered for publication (and may be published) in The Mirage, the Cochise College arts and literary magazine. Entering the Writing Contest means each entrant agrees that their work can be published in The Mirage.
- There are three contest categories:
- Poetry: Each poetry entry may include up to three poems for a total of up to five pages
- Short Story (fiction): Limited to 10 double-spaced pages per entry
- Memoir (nonfiction): Limited to 10 double-spaced pages per entry (about 2,500 words
- Entries are accepted via email only.
Entries are only accepted online at:
The author's name should not appear on the attached work as entries will be judged anonymously. Each entry must include a separate title page bearing:
- title(s) and category of entry.
- author's name, address, phone number and email address.
There is no charge to enter the contest. Authors may enter more than one category, but the total number of submissions is three per entrant. There is no charge to enter the Writing Contest
DEADLINE: All contest entries must be received by Friday, March 13, 2026.
Online registration for the Creative Writing Celebration on Friday, April 10, 2026 is available at https://www.cochise.edu/cwc/.
Contest entrants are not required to attend the Creative Writing Celebration.
Winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded as part of Creative Writing Celebration events on Fri., April 10, 2065. Winners do not need to be present to win.
- The Kid’s Writing Contest is open only to Cochise County residents.
- Entrants must be 18 years or younger.
- The word limit on each entry is 200 words.
- Each entrant is allowed to submit only one entry per person.
- All submitted writing must be the original, unpublished work of the person entering the contest. Any work that has been previously published will not be considered for entry.
- The Kids Writing Contest is sponsored by the Copper Queen Library and the Sierra Vista Library.
- There are no cash prizes for winning entries
There are three contest categories by age:
- Grades K-4
- Grades 5-8
- Grades 9-12
The top three places in each category will receive a certificate of merit and first place winners in each category will be published in the Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review.
Entries are only accepted online via:
The author's name should not appear on the attached work as entries will be judged anonymously. Each entry must include a separate title page bearing:
- title(s) and category of entry.
- author's name, address, phone number and email address.
DEADLINE: All contest entries must be received by Friday, March 13, 2026. There is no charge to enter the contest.
Online registration for the Creative Writing Celebration is available at https://www.cochise.edu/cwc/.
Contest entrants are not required to attend the Creative Writing Celebration.
Winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded as part of Creative Writing Celebration events on Friday, April 10, 2026. Winners do not need to be present to win.
Winners announced for the 2025 Creative Writing Celebration contests
The winners for the 2025 Creative Writing Celebration contests were announced during the event held on April 4.
The Writing Contest featured three categories: poetry, fiction, and memoir, with first, second, and third place awarded in each category. The Kids Writing Contest was open to students in grades K-12, with winners for first, second, and third in each category depending on the number of entries.
In the poetry category, Alison Williams won first place for her poem “The Hero’s Journey”. Second place in poetry was the poem “Home is Where the Cart Is,” by Dave Warner and third place was the poem, “Why Do the Whales Beach Themselves,” also by Dave Warner.
In fiction, Gretchen Hill earned first place for “Mommy Takes the Tie to the Washing Machine”. Second place was “Another Word for Fire is Despair,” by Alison Williams, and third place went to “Dogwood,” by Robyn Shelbourne.
In the memoir category, first place was awarded to Yotaki, for “Beaten But Beautiful”. Second place went to “The Girly Embrace,” by Jan Breen. Trisha Faye placed third for “The Afternoon that Almost Wasn’t”.
In the Kids Writing Contest in the K-4 category, first place was won by Lily Messina, second place went to Emerson Casale for “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” and third place was awarded to Darren Johannes. There were no entries in the 5-8 category. For the 9-12 category, first place went to Ray French for the story, “Death by Dragon,” and second place was awarded to Hannah Mazon for her story, “Of Nettle and Heather.”
Winners in the Kids Writing Contest received certificates of accomplishment. Winners in the Writing Contest, first place was awarded $200, second place was awarded $100, and third place was awarded $50.
First place winners will be published in the next issue of the Mirage, the Cochise College Literary and Arts magazine. All winners will appear in the Herald/Review Media.
