Calling all storytellers! Dive into the rich literary landscape of the Bluegrass State by entering the 2026 Kentucky Visions Short Story contest. The contest is an annual event designed to highlight Kentucky’s rich literary talent and to celebrate the best in short fiction written by Kentuckians or about our beloved Bluegrass state. Both emerging and established authors are invited to submit their work. All stories have a connection to the Bluegrass State—set in Kentucky, written by a Kentuckian, or inspired by a Kentucky relative. Sixteen finalists will have their stories published in an anthology.
The entry fee is $20. The deadline for submitting your story is January 31, 2026.
Whether you write literary realism, speculative fiction, horror, or quiet slice-of-life pieces, we want your best work. Cash prizes await the winners, so let your imagination run wild!
Awards for the finalists and winners of the 2025 Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest were presented at a ceremony in Frankfort, Kentucky at the Capitol Rotunda on April 16, 2025 by Secretary Lindy Casebier of the Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet to present the awards.
2025 Contest Finalists and winners
Congratulations to the finalists and winners!
“Big Hefty” by Daniel Reiss
“God Has a Way of Taking Care of His Own” by David Sweet & Glenda Toews
Second Place: “Just Like the Ones I Used to Know” by Pamela Perlman
“Mi’Kmaq Justice” by Leslie Gulvas
“Operation Takedown” by Tekoa Manning
“Pink and Blue” by Damian C. Beach
“Subsidence” by Artie Ann Bates
“The Caregivers” by Brian Daldorph
“The Seasons of Life” by Jenny Smith
Third Place: “The Vein and the Vein” by Bradley Firchow
First Place: “Thin Mints and Nightmares” by Nell KT Campbell
“The Three Trees of Threapwood Yews” by Lynette Hill
“Yearning” by Beth Dotson Brown
“Your Name is Mudd” by Jeanne Anne-Marie Bossier
The 2025 anthology contains all 16 finalist stories selected by our judges, for hours of reading enjoyment!
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