Latest News

We will always post Literary Taxidermy news here on our website, but we encourage you to subscribe to our mailing list for the latest updates, including announcements about the Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition, future workshops, and other events.

28 April 2023 — LATEST UPDATE

We don't have a date for this year's competition, but we do have other exciting news. This year we are offering our first Literary Taxidermy writing workshops—a unique and creative way to jump-start your writing process and explore new avenues for literary creativity. Whether you are an experienced writer, just starting out, new to the idea of literary taxidermy, or an old hand at stitching together stories and poems, these workshops will provide you with valuable tools and techniques. You can learn about the current workshop offerings here: Literary Taxidermy Workshops. Space is limited, so sign up soon!

2 December 2022

We're pleased to announce the WINNER of the SHORT STORY contest of this year's Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, Langston Hughes, and A. A. Milne. It’s a story focused on a particular kind of human anguish, but it does so through the lens of fantastic fiction. Death pays a visit to the elderly protagonist, but his arrival isn’t so much macabre as melancholic, even comforting. Selected from nearly a thousand submissions, this story impressed, delighted, and thrilled our early readers and final judges. Finding extraordinary works like this is the reason we run the competition, and we know you'll love reading it, too! The author of this winning story will receive US $500 and a copy of this year's anthology. Please join us in offering congratulations to...

    ★ Clare Kate Mahon, an Irish teacher and doctoral student living in Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and author of the short story “The Stone.”

You can find her story, as well as those of all our short story and poetry finalists, in the 2022 anthology of literary taxidermy I FOUND HAPPINESS & TRAGEDY — Available now as paperback or digital download.

 

2 December 2022

We're pleased to announce the WINNER of the POETRY contest of this year's Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, Langston Hughes, and A. A. Milne. It’s a poignant story of love, both lost and found, and it captures in a mere thirty-nine lines something that is romantic, wistful, heartbreaking, and ineluctably human. Selected from nearly a thousand submissions, this poem impressed, delighted, and thrilled our early readers and final judges. Finding gems like this is the reason we run the competition, and we know you'll love reading it, too! The author of this winning poem will receive US $500 and a copy of this year's anthology. Please join us in offering congratulations to...

    ★ Trudi Petersen, a nurse and shop-owner living in Wales in the United Kingdom, and author of the poem “Valparaiso.”

You can find her poem, as well as those of all our short story and poetry finalists, in the 2022 anthology of literary taxidermy I FOUND HAPPINESS & TRAGEDY — Available now as paperback or digital download.

 

30 November 2022

We're pleased to announce the twenty Finalists for this year's Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition—inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, Langston Hughes, and A. A. Milne. It really was another year of extraordinary writing, and we can't wait to share these stories and poems with you!

From Ireland to Aotearoa, from a chance encounter to a planned revenge, from an evil older brother to a gun-toting NannyBot—these stories and poems, selected from nearly a thousand submissions, delighted both early readers and final judges, and will be included in this year's literary taxidermy anthology, soon to be published by Regulus Press.

Please join us in offering congratulations to all the Finalists—great work!

    Short Stories
    • Erika Bauer, "Because Cowboys Ride Horses Into Sunsets"
    • Sam Bshero, "Lina"
    • Jessica Grene, "Highly Flammable"
    • C.S. Griffel, "Epsilon 581"
    • Eleanor Ingbretson, "Rodrigo's Revenge"
    • Amanda le Bas de Plumetot, "Pitch Drop"
    • Clare Kate Mahon, "The Stone"
    • Amanda Marlowe, "In His Own Image"
    • Dee Raspin, "A Tale of Two Tailors"
    • Frank Ruscitti, "Souvenirs"
    • William Sharp, "Colder than Ice Cream"
    • Larissa Thomson, "The King of the Cambie Street Bridge"

    Poetry
    • Philip Amat, "Ritual Pleasures"
    • Susan B Borgersen, "So You Call This Progress Said Mother"
    • Isobel Cunningham, "Amor Vincit"
    • Annamaria Formichella, "Cold Comfort"
    • Sean Fowler Green, "Long Ago, It Was"
    • Gail Ingram, "Aotearoa, the Land of the Milk White Proud"
    • Karan Kapoor, "My Childhood and Its Scent of a Bird Caressed"
    • Trudi Petersen, "Valparaiso"

And of course two of these Finalists — one story and one poem — will be the Winners of this year's Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition! Stay tuned...!

28 November 2022

We're pleased to announce the thirty Honorable Mentions in this year's Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, Langston Hughes, and A. A. Milne. Although these stories and poems did not make it into the final anthology, they all reached the penultimate round of selection, impressing our many readers. We're certain you'll be seeing more from these writers in the future. Please join us in offering congratulations to all the Honorable Mentions!

    Short Stories
    Julia Brieger, "The Flooding" • Kim Dicso, "Son of a Beth" • Rhonda Valentine Dixon, "Going Down" • Evan Gillespie, "Disgruntled Short Story" • Ruth Goldberg, "Bloodlines" • Trudy Graham, "Choices" • Jacqui Greaves, "You Are Already Dead" • Melissa Gunn, "Seeds of Hope" • Emily Hanlon, "Eclipsed" • Margo Karolyi, "Into the Woods" • Simon King, "Heed the Silent" • Michael Kuty, "Beach Blanket Bloodshed" • Charlin McIsaac, "Uncle Liam's Iron Foot" • Melanie McKerchar, "Geophagy" • Sue Scarlett Montgomery, "End The Patriarchy" • Adrian F. Roscher, "At Bergdorf’s" • Maria Rybakova, "Shameshame" • Andrea L. Staum, "The Wretched Bond" • Lisa VanGalen, "Endings, Beginnings, and Something In Between" • Kyle Woods, "10,000 Years of Darkness"

    Poetry
    Helen Anderson, "Findlings" • Goh Yong Ming Calvin, "Foreword" • Steven Case, "Neptune’s Chains" • Danielle Davey, "Le Ballet de la Nuit" • Sean Fallon, "First Words" • Susan Jane Hay, "Elevated Conversation" • Hawk and Young, "Schrödinger’s Bomb Shelter" • Catherine Lee, "Dreams of Master’s Sons or Whirling Sun?" • Sean McConville, "The Ballad of John Jacob Finnegan" • Paul Joseph Rodriguez, "The Collector"

In recognition of their fine work, every Honorable Mention will be listed in this year's collection of literary taxidermy. And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the competition Finalists next....

24 October 2022

It's been an incredible three months here in the Pacific Northwest. Since the submission period closed in July, we've had our editors busy reading, re-reading, and re-re-reading every entry in this year's competition. As you know, participants were asked to create original stories and poems using the opening and closing lines from four different works:

    “Happiness,” a poem by A. A. Milne
    “As I Grew Older,” a poem by Langston Hughes
    “The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor,” a story by Agatha Christie
    “Ms. Found in a Bottle,” a story by Edgar Allan Poe

And wow did everyone deliver! Last week we passed a shortlist of incredible work to our eight illustrious judges. Now the countdown begins!

Before the end of November we will announce the Honorable Mentions for this year's competition. Shortly thereafter we will announce the twenty Finalists whose stories and poems made it into this year's anthology. And shortly after that we will announce the two Winners — one story and one poem.

We hope you're excited — we certainly are!

11 July 2022

The submission period for this year's competition has closed. If you submitted a story or poem today, it may take as long as 24 hours to receive confirmation of your entry. But don't worry — confirmation is coming! Next step? We start reading! Meanwhile, you can read all about the 2022 competition (as well as our previous competitions in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021) on our website. Winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions will be announced sometime in the northern hemisphere's fall.

01 May 2022

The Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition is back, returning for its fifth year, this time as a fundraiser for Ukraine. The submission period begins today.

The 2022 Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition awards original works of short fiction or poetry under 2000 words, and is open to all writers, in all countries, in all genres. The catch: We provide your opening and closing lines chosen from a classic work of literature — you provide the rest. This year, aspiring writers will be offered two simultaneous contests — one for short stories and one for poetry — using the opening and closing lines from works by Agatha Christie, Langston Hughes, A. A. Milne, and Edgar Allan Poe. The author of a winning story or poem will receive USD $500 and runners-up will receive USD $50. In addition, winners and runners-up will be published by Regulus Press in a forthcoming 2022 Anthology of Literary Taxidermy. Also, for the first time, we're offering personal feedback for all the participants who make it to the Honorable Mention level. The idea of "literary taxidermy" originated in a book of short stories called The Gymnasium by Mark Malamud. This year's competition ends on July 11th, 2022. You can read all about the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 competitions here.

21 April 2022

Spring has sprung! And along with longer days and warmer climes we're pleased to announce the Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition is back. In just ten days, on May 1st, 2022, the submission period for the fifth annual competition will open. Sharpen those pencils, and stay tuned! Details to follow....

15 April 2022

We've got some great news — but we can't share it quite yet. Look for an announcement sometime next week. In the meantime, join our mailing list, pick up one or more of our anthologies, and keep writing!

9 March 2022

In celebration of the fifth year of the Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition, we're pleased to announce a series of readings by some of the remarkable literary taxidermists who have contributed to the anthologies. The Literary Taxidermy Reading Series began on December 9th, 2021 and will run throughout 2022. You can find the series on the Reading Series page of the Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition website. We've made a few changes to the schedule since we last posted. Here's the current schedule of readings (subject to change):

December 9, 2021 — PLEASURE TO BURN
Cuifen Chen, "Sunshade, Starlight"
Stephen Yolland, "The Hunt"

December 30, 2021 — 34 STORIES
Amanda le Bas de Plumetot, "Cornucopia"
Josephine Greenland, "Compass of the Winds"
Thomas Baldwin, "The Crystal Tower"

January 20, 2022 — 124 BELOVED
Julia Jordan, "The Salvation of 1-2-4"
Khariya Ali, "A Songbird’s Silence"

February 10, 2022 — AGAINST THE BAR
Asumini C, "Assumptions"
Kerri Ashes, "Thursday Afternoon"
Sean Fallon, "Me and Mimi"

March 3, 2022 — ONE THING WAS CERTAIN
Amber Logan, "KTN 2.3"
Ned Herbert Boyden, "The Library"

March 24, 2022 — TELEPHONE ME NOW
Arynn Haws, "Everything After"
Josh Lefkowitz, "My Final Lover"

April 14, 2022 — PLEASURE TO BURN
Christopher Rowson, "The Beginner's Guide to Endings"
Katy Madgwick, "Dust Jackets"
Shannon Savvas, "Ronnie"

May 5, 2022 — 124 BELOVED
Mel Kennard, "Attila the Hen"
Nathan Baker, "The Last Directive"

May 26, 2022 — 34 STORIES
Anna Shannon, "The Tenant"
Steve Amos, "Thirty-four Stories"

June 16, 2022 — PLEASURE TO BURN
Erika Bauer, "A Dark and Final Space"
Mariah Hopkins, "Waiting for the Great Fire"

July 7, 2022 — ONE THING WAS CERTAIN
Barbara Corrado Pope, "Indecision"
Samantha Johnson, "Serpent King"
Jenny Hanson, "May 8th, 2025"

July 28, 2022 — 124 BELOVED
Sam Szanto, "125"
David Kerekes, "The Missing Husband"

August 18, 2022 — THE ART OF DEATH
Paula Aamli, "To My Executors"
Erika Bauer, "If Only She Could Have Been Good"
Carol Josephine Dixon, "Wedding Day"

September 8, 2022 — THE ART OF DEATH
Hilari Anderson, "MIQ Haiku In Quarantine with KM"
Liz Breslin, "Afterwards They Built Bigger Fences"

September 29, 2022 — THE ART OF DEATH
Shara Sinor, "The Seedy Café"
Emma Lamont-Messer, "Daleko Tea"

October 20, 2022 — TELEPHONE ME NOW
Justine Gardner, "Nature Will Provide"
Robert Atkinson, "Skip Counting"

We can't wait to share all these wonderful writers with you, and we hope you'll join us. (Tell your friends, too!)

26 November 2021

We're pleased to announce the WINNER of the SHORT STORY contest of this year's Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition inspired by modernist author Katherine Mansfield. It’s a macabre tale from an all-too-plausible future, detailing a collision of politics, privilege, and plague. Selected from hundreds of submissions, this story impressed, delighted, and thrilled our early readers and final judges. Finding extraordinary works like this is the reason we run the competition, and we know you'll love reading it, too! The author of this winning story will receive US $500 and a copy of this year's anthology. Please join us in offering congratulations to...

    ★ LAURA LOTT, a student living in the Midlands, UK, and author of the short story “The View from Here.”

You can find her story, as well as those of all our short story and poetry finalists, in the 2021 anthology of literary taxidermy THE ART OF DEATH — Available now as paperback or digital download.

 

26 November 2021 — LATEST UPDATE

We're pleased to announce the WINNER of the POETRY contest of this year's Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition inspired by modernist author Katherine Mansfield. It’s an unsettling report from a café that seems unable to shake off its dark past, and it imbues Mansfield’s lines with an unexpected creepiness. Selected from hundreds of submissions, this poem impressed, delighted, and thrilled our early readers and final judges. Finding gems like this is the reason we run the competition, and we know you'll love reading it, too! The author of this winning poem will receive US $500 and a copy of this year's anthology. Please join us in offering congratulations to...

    ★ EMMA LAMONT-MESSER, a former lawyer living in Auckland, New Zealand, and author of the poem “Daleko Tea.”

You can find her poem, as well as those of all our short story and poetry finalists, in the 2021 anthology of literary taxidermy THE ART OF DEATH — Available now as paperback or digital download.

 

And stay tuned—we'll be announcing the Winner of the SHORT STORY contest very, very soon!

24 November 2021

We're pleased to announce the twenty Finalists in this year's Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition inspired by modernist author Katherine Mansfield.

From a skeptical bride to a drug-tripping father, from a zoo thief to a sentient potato—these stories and poems, selected from hundreds of submissions, delighted both early readers and final judges, and will be included in this year's literary taxidermy anthology, soon to be published by Regulus Press.

Please join us in offering congratulations to all the Finalists — great work!

    • Paula Aamli, "To My Executors"
    • Khariya Ali, "Threads"
    • Hilari Anderson, "In Quarantine with KM"
    • Anita Theresia Arlov, "Up until the Snails"
    • Erika Bauer, "If Only She Could Have Been Good"
    • Liz Breslin, "Afterwards They Built Bigger Fences"
    • Emily Makere Broadmore, "Phallus impudicus"
    • Gilbert Ben Brynildsen, "The Porcelain Goddess"
    • Alan Cumming, "Cafe Marilyn"
    • Sharon Derveaux, "Existence"
    • Stu Duval, "Absinthe Cake"
    • Ivor Gagnon, "A Trip with My Father"
    • Julia Jordan, "Ross Thomson - A Portion of My Life"
    • Carol Josephine Dixon, "Wedding Day"
    • Emma Lamont-Messer, "Daleko Tea"
    • Laura Lott, "The View from Here"
    • Heather McQuillan, "Mismatch "
    • Elizabeth Ray, "On Love and Monkeys"
    • Alana Rigby, "Ten Plagues and More"
    • Shara Sinor, "The Seedy Cafe"

And of course two of these Finalists — one story and one poem — will be the Winners of this year's Katherine Mansfield competition! Stay tuned...!

22 November 2021

We're pleased to announce the thirty-five Honorable Mentions in this year's Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition inspired by modernist author Katherine Mansfield. Although these stories and poems did not make it into the final anthology, they all reached the penultimate round of selection, impressing our many readers. We're certain you'll be seeing more from these writers in the future. Please join us in offering congratulations to all the Honorable Mentions!

    Kate Adams, "Babbling On" • Ali Bacon, "Rubbing Along" • Emma Bamford, "Daisy’s" • Andrea Bernard, "Eleanor" • Susan B. Borgersen, "Erebus and Nyx" • Shannon Brady, "House of Peitho" • Sue Brennan, "Memory Stick" • Diane Broughton, "The Weight of Words" • E. Benjamin Carroll, "What She Takes" • Marc Cousineau, "The Last Day of Winter" • Danielle Davey, "Re(pre)sent" • Leanna F. Falconer, "Twenty Nine Seconds" • Sean Fallon, "The Café" • Helen Firminger, "Madder and Roses" • Jane Frances Gapper, "Stole" • Peter Hankins, "Pachydamned" • Eleanor Ingbretson, "The Tabac Man" • R.A. Johnson, "Bordelaise aux Champignons" • Amanda le Bas de Plumetot, "Side by Side, Our Faces" • Alexander Lwin, "Café Gostak" • Jeremy McDonald, "Loss" • Jim Muir, "The Blackboard" • Barrie Nunn, "Katherine's Other Monkey" • Kate Phimy, "MusclesWayne1978" • Alexandra Runge, "Mushrooms, Cups, and other Vessels" • William Sharp, "Two Loves" • Nelly Shulman, "You Know I Am No Good" • Irene Sperber, "The Flautist" • Don Stoll, "Mushrooms" • Samantha Szanto, "If I Tell You My Name, Will You Tell Me What It Tastes Of" • Cecily Vermote, "Backroom Terror " • Summer Walker-Barnes, "The Secret Menagerie" • Sophia Wilson, "I am reminded" • Candace Wise, "Babbling Brook" • Stephen Robin Yolland, "A Determined Woman" •

In recognition of their fine work, every Honorable Mention will be listed in this year's collection of literary taxidermy. And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the competition Finalists next....

31 October 2021

It's been an incredible month here in the Pacific Northwest, and we've been busy reading, re-reading, and re-re-reading every submission in this year's competition. Participants were asked to create stories and poems using the opening and closing lines from two works by New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield: "The Black Monkey" and "Je ne parle pas français" — and wow did everyone deliver! Last week we passed a shortlist of incredible work to our judges. Now the countdown begins!

Before the end of November we will announce the Honorable Mentions for this year's competition. Shortly thereafter we will announce the twenty Finalists whose stories and poems made it into this year's anthology. And shortly after that we will announce the two US $500 Winners — one story and one poem.

We hope you're excited — we certainly are!

26 September 2021

The submission period has closed for the 2021 Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition. Thank you, everyone, for your enthusiasm and participation — it's been an exciting month-and-a-half! We're still processing many of your entries, so if you've sent us a story or poem in the last few days, it may take a few more days before you receive confirmation. (If you haven't heard from us in a week, let us know.)

Of course just because the submission phase of the competition is over, it doesn't mean our work is done. In fact, now comes the fun part! Over the next few weeks we will be distributing your work to our editorial team so they can read the thrilling heterogeneity of your 2021 stories, poems, and epistles. Once our editors have reviewed every entry, we will be passing your best work to our illustrious judges.

Winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions with be announced before the end of the year. Good luck!

14 August 2021

The Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition is back! In association with a New Zealand arts exhibition called STILL LIFE | WILD PLACES, showcasing a new generation of contemporary artists, including taxidermists, the Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition is returning for its fourth year.

The submission period begins today!

The 2021 Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition awards original works of short fiction or poetry under 2000 words, and is open to all writers, in all countries, in all genres. The catch: We provide your opening and closing lines chosen from a classic work of literature — you provide the rest. This year, aspiring writers will be offered two simultaneous contests — one for short stories and one for poetry — using the opening and closing lines from two works by New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield: "The Black Monkey" and "Je ne parle pas français." The author of a winning story or poem will receive USD $500 and runners-up will receive USD $50. In addition, winners and runners-up will be published by Regulus Press in a forthcoming 2021 Anthology of Literary Taxidermy, pubished as part of the Still Life | Wild Places exhibition. The idea of "literary taxidermy" originated in a book of short stories called The Gymnasium by Mark Malamud. This year's competition ends on September 26th, 2021. You can read all about the 2018, 2019, and 2020 competitions here: Previous Competitions.

03 August 2021

We are excited to announce that there will be a Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition this year—and soon! We'll be making an announcement about timing shortly.

26 July 2021

We've got some great news — but we can't share it quite yet. Look for an announcement the first week in August. In the meantime, please continue to support all our wonderful authors. Join our mailing list, pick up one or more of our anthologies, and keep writing!

21 March 2021

Thank you—everyone!—for your participation in our previous competitions. Whether you’re a writer or reader (or both!), we are indebted to your energy, support, creativity, and enthusiasm. You really made the past three years of the Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition a success. In fact, last year we had our largest number of participants and our most eclectic set of stories. The competition's unique tête-bêche anthology, 34 Stories • 124 Beloved, really captured the pleasures and possibilities of literary taxidermy. If you haven’t picked up a copy, we encourage you to do so. You won’t be disappointed!

Unfortunately, last year’s competition was also our most challenging. Covid took its toll, and given the unique trials and pressures of the pandemic we’ve decided it's time for a brief hiatus. Regulus Press is still committed to literary taxidermy—as are all of us who have worked on the competition—and we’re actively looking for other ways to celebrate literary taxidermy during this year. We have a few irons in the fire, and we’ll let you know the latest news as soon as we do.

In the meantime, please continue to support all our wonderful authors. Join our mailing list, pick up one or more of our anthologies, and keep writing!

16 November 2020

In addition to the tête-bêche (flip-book) omnibus edition, each anthology from the 2020 Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition is now available as a standalone paperback. Both 34 STORIES and 124 BELOVED are available worldwide on Amazon.

 

From a boy witch to a parental cyborg, from a homeless cat to a misunderstood hen, from a girl trapped beneath a building to a lonely empress on a faraway planet—you've never read a collection of stories like these! Please show your support for these wonderful authors—and for the Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition—by ordering a copy today. 

27 October 2020

We're pleased to announce the WINNER of the MORRISON contest of this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. We loved the sad yet romantic arc of the story, the tender voice of its narrator, and the deft way it employs Morrison’s first and last lines. Selected from hundreds of submissions, this story impressed, delighted, and thrilled our early readers and final judges. Finding extraordinary works like this is the reason we run the competition, and we know you'll love reading it, too! The author of this winning story will receive US $500 and a copy of this year's anthology. Please join us in offering congratulations to...

    ★ ERIKA BAUER, a teacher in Michigan, and author of the short story “You Know, He Knew, I Said.”

You can find her story, as well as those of all our Huxley and Morrison finalists, in the 2020 anthology of literary taxidermy 34 STORIES / 124 BELOVED — Available now as paperback or digital download.

 

27 October 2020

We're pleased to announce the WINNER of the HUXLEY contest of this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. We loved the story's voice, its propulsive narrative, and its unsettling alien world. Selected from hundreds of submissions, this story impressed, delighted, and thrilled our early readers and final judges. Finding gems like this is the reason we run the competition, and we know you'll love reading it, too! The author of this winning story will receive US $500 and a copy of this year's anthology. Please join us in offering congratulations to...

    ★ AMANDA LA BAS DE PLUMETOT, a writer in Melbourne, Australia, and author of the short story “Cornucopia.”

You can find her story, as well as those of all our Huxley and Morrison finalists, in the 2020 anthology of literary taxidermy 34 STORIES / 124 BELOVED — Available now as paperback or digital download.

 

And stay tuned—we'll be announcing the Winner of the Morrison contest very, very soon!

23 October 2020

We're pleased to announce the ten Morrison Finalists in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition.

From a homeless cat to a misunderstood hen, from a political prisoner to a well-kept plot, from a surreal visit up the Norwegian fjords to a gritty drive down Route 66—these stories, selected from hundreds of submissions, delighted both early readers and final judges, and will be included in the literary taxidermy anthology 34 STORIES / 124 BELOVED, soon to be published by Regulus Press.

Please join us in offering congratulations to all the Morrison contest finalists — great work!

    • Khariya Ali, "A Songbird’s Silence"
    • Nathan Baker, "The Last Directive"
    • Erika Bauer, "You Know, He Knew, I Said"
    • Amis Dee, "Submission 129"
    • L.F. Falconer, "Best Kept Secret"
    • Michael R Goodwin, "The Wiseman Bridge"
    • Julia Jordan, "The Salvation of 1-2-4"
    • Mel Kennard, "Attila the Hen"
    • David Kerekes, "The Missing Husband"
    • Sam Szanto , "125"

And of course one of these stories will be the winner of this year's Morrison competition! So stay tuned—we'll be announcing the winners of both the Huxley and Morrison contests next!

22 October 2020

We're pleased to announce the ten Huxley Finalists in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition.

From a boy witch to a parental cyborg, from a woman trapped beneath a building to a lonely empress on a faraway planet, from a crop duster's demise to a young girl's most secret code—these stories, selected from hundreds of submissions, delighted both early readers and final judges, and will be included in the literary taxidermy anthology 34 STORIES / 124 BELOVED, soon to be published by Regulus Press.

Please join us in offering congratulations to all the Huxley contest finalists — great work!

    • Lolly Alder, "Sharp Edges"
    • Steve Amos, "Thirty-four Stories"
    • Robert Burton Atkinson, "Mowing the Sky"
    • Thomas Baldwin, "The Crystal Tower"
    • Helen J Firminger, "The Grey Hut"
    • Josephine Greenland, "Compass of the Winds"
    • Damien J Howard, "Point Me in the Right Direction"
    • Amanda le Bas de Plumetot, "Cornucopia"
    • Joel McKay Pearson, "In Thunder"
    • Anna Shannon, "The Tenant"

And of course one of these stories will be the winner of this year's Huxley competition! Stay tuned—we'll be announcing the finalists of the Morrison contest next....

21 October 2020

As we prepare to announce the finalists of this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition, we wanted to take a moment to share some exciting news about this year's forthcoming Huxley and Morrison anthologies.

In celebration of our third anniversary, we decided to do something special with our publication format. So this year, both anthologies have been twisted through a space-bending chrono-synclastic infundibulum and—still keeping their identities intact—joined together into a single volume called 34 STORIES / 124 BELOVED. Yes, that's right—this year’s anthology is actually two books in one.

How is that possible? you ask.

Well, each anthology is rotated 180° relative to the other, then bound together. Known as an "upside-down" or "reversible” book, the tête-bêche format (if you'll pardon our French) has been used for devotional books since the nineteenth century, and more recently for genre paperbacks in the 60s and 70s. Books bound in this way have no back cover, but instead have two front covers; and when you reach the end of the text of one of the anthologies, the next page is the (upside-down) last page of the other.

A unique collection for a unique competition—we can't wait to share it with you!

(The digital version of 34 STORIES / 124 BELOVED will contain both anthologies, of course, but won't be an upside-down book—so no need to flip over your e-reader!)

20 October 2020

We're pleased to announce the thirty-six Morrison Honorable Mentions in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. Although these stories did not make it into the final anthology, they all reached the penultimate round of selection, impressing our many readers. We're certain you'll be seeing more from these writers in the future. Please join us in offering congratulations to all the honorable mentions!

    Paul Bailey, "Tithonus" • Stacy Baldwin, "Firewalls" • Emma J. Bamford, "Glenn" • Palmer Blackstock, "Patient 124" • Susan B. Borgersen, "Convent Girls" • Patricia Ann Bowen, "Living to Serve" • Charlie Bown, "Mantis" • Diane Broughton, "and the raging seas did roar" • Martin Peter Burns, "Numbers Catch" • Victoria Geraldine Bruce, "Power of Love" • Annina Claesson, "Sweet Music" • Ilana Conway, "The Kiss List" • Margaret Dakin , "149 Was Different" • Mary Fletcher, "Case 124" • Zoe Gray, "Our Beloved Departed" • Jana Haasbroek, "Mpendwa " • Emily Hanlon, "At the Intersection of Love and Hate" • Cathy Hiscock, "All Roads Lead to Rome and Catford" • Meredith Jelbart, "Cabinet of Curiosities" • Eileen Kelly-Owens, "Calculating Drift" • Katie Lewis, "The Indistinguishableness of Gods and Angels" • Yang Li, "Summer Fallacy" • Amanda Liddle, "200 Words to Describe My Father" • Sue Loring, "Eternally Yours" • Skylar Nitzel, "The Sweetest Sin" • Sophie Olszowski, "Self-sufficiency" • Veronica Quinn, "My Beloved" • Alana Rigby, "Return the Kindness" • Adrian F. Roscher, "124" • Karen Linda Savage, "One Two Four" • Shara Sinor, "The Tear Master" • Jennifer Sisko, "Promise to the Future" • Karen Tinsley, "The Cillín" • Ricky Wells, "The Woman from 124" • Gregg Williard, "With 125" • Stephen Yolland, "Love Story"

In recognition of their fine work, every honorable mention will be listed in 124 BELOVED, this year's forthcoming Morrison anthology. And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the finalists of both the Huxley and Morrison contests soon....

19 October 2020

We're pleased to announce the thirty-four Huxley Honorable Mentions in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. Although these stories did not make it into the final anthology, they all reached the penultimate round of selection, impressing our many readers. We're certain you'll be seeing more from these writers in the future. Please join us in offering congratulations to all the honorable mentions!

    Jane Andrews, "Tempus Fugitive" • Tabitha Bast, "There Is Life at This Level" • Susan B. Borgersen, "Strong and Black" • Ned Boyden, "The Department of Sanitation" • Gilbert Ben Brynildsen, "Toothpicks" • Kathryn Crowley, "Lockdown Differences" • Selina De Luca, "Clockwork" • John J. DeDominicis, "Obsession, Lies, and Murder" • Una Dimitrijevic, "American Dreamers" • Rhonda Valentine Dixon, "Amaira’s Fortune" • Brian Douglas, "The Tiger" • Josephine Draper, "Takeover" • Sean Fallon, "The Fido Paradox" • Peter Hankins, "New Troy" • Anna Sara Henderson, "Our Eleemosynary Future" • Paul Hillman-Harris, "Always Sunny" • Caroline Hunt, "The Uncurling" • Suzanne Johnston, "Confidants" • Michael Kuty, "The Other Side of the Lamp" • Claire Lanyon, "The Documenter" • Leah M, "Derelict, Neglect with No Regret" • Bobbie Allen Macniven-Young, "Such People" • Eleanor Musgrove, "The Sixteenth Key" • Skip Ashseed, "45 Minutes to Destination" • Jennifer Rathwell, "Taps" • Patrick Roycroft, "Succumbing" • Alexandra Runge, "Building Bricks" • Rachel Marie Salhi, "The Whiskey Heel" • Janeen Samuel, "The Gift of Mrs Burtenshaw" • Michael Seaton, "Drop South" • Rick Shingler, "Dog Run" • Michael Taylor, "Thirty Days Hath September" • Richard Vadim, "One Tin Cup of Freedom" • Carol Josephine Dixon, "Stories"

In recognition of their fine work, every honorable mention will be listed in 34 STORIES, this year's forthcoming Huxley anthology. And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the Morrison honorable mentions next....

28 September 2020

It's been an incredible summer here in the Pacific Northwest. Between the Covid pandemic and some of the worst wildfires on record in California, Oregon, and Washington, we've been busy reading, re-reading, counting, savoring, collating, re-re-reading, and ranking every story, poem, and epistle in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition — and now the countdown begins!

In approximately one month we will announce the Honorable Mentions for this year's two contests. Shortly thereafter we will announce the twenty Finalists whose stories made it into this year's anthology of Huxley and Morrison taxidermies. And shortly after that we will announce the two US $500 Winners of this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition.

We hope you're excited — we certainly are!

04 June 2020

The submission period has closed for the 2020 Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. Thank you, everyone, for your enthusiasm and participation — it's been a thrilling few months! We're still processing many of your submissions, so if you've sent us a story in the last few days, it may take a few more days before you receive confirmation. (If you haven't heard from us in a week, let us know.)

Of course just because the submission phase of the competition is over, it doesn't mean our work is done. In fact, now comes the fun part! Over the next few weeks we will be distributing your work to our editorial team so they can read the thrilling heterogeneity of your 2020 stories, poems, and epistles. Once our editors have reviewed every story, we will be passing your best work to our illustrious judges.

Winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions with be announced sometime in the late summer or early fall.

19 March 2020

We're pleased to announce the launch of the 2020 Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition! The competition awards original works of short fiction under 2500 words, and is open to all writers, in all countries, in all genres. The catch: We provide your opening and closing lines chosen from a classic work of literature — you provide the rest. This year, aspiring writers will be offered two simultaneous contests using the opening and closing lines from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, and Beloved by Toni Morrison. The winning story in each contest will receive USD $500 and runners-up will receive USD $50. In addition, winners and runners-up will be published by Regulus Press in a forthcoming 2020 Anthology of Literary Taxidermy. The idea originated in a book of short stories called The Gymnasium by Mark Malamud. This year's competition ends on June 4th, 2020. You can read all about the 2018 and 2019 competitions here: Previous Competitions.

25 October 2019

Please join us in offering congratulations to the WINNER of this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. We loved the story’s setting, the tension between the characters, and of course the idea of magical papercraft; and the entire tale feels as if it were conjured directly from Bradbury's first and last lines to create a seamless and pitch-perfect narrative. Selected from hundreds of submissions, this story impressed, delighted, and thrilled our early readers and final judges. Finding gems like this is the reason we run the competition, and we know you'll love reading it, too! The author of this winning story will receive US $500 and a copy of this year's anthology. Please join us in offering congratulations to...

    ✰ CUIFEN CHEN, a student in Singapore, and author of the short story "Sunshade, Starlight."

You can find her story, as well as those of all our finalists, in the 2019 anthology of literary taxidermy, PLEASURE TO BURN — Available now!

 

23 October 2019

We're pleased to announce the twenty-one Finalists in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition.

From a cheerful cannibal to a transhuman plastivore, from a lovesick angel to a text-messaging devil, from a lonely teen with intimacy issues to a sultry virago who literally sets her bed afire — these stories, selected from hundreds of submissions, delighted both early readers and final judges. And all these stories will be included in the literary taxidermy anthology PLEASURE TO BURN, soon to be published by Regulus Press. The author of each story will receive US $50 and our enthusiastic encouragement to keep writing! (And of course one of these stories will be the Winner of this year's competition!)

Please join us in offering congratulations to all the competition Finalists — great work!

    • Erika Bauer, "A Dark and Final Space"
    • Goh Yong Ming Calvin, "Yesterday"
    • Kit Carmona, "The 9000th Loop"
    • Cuifen Chen, "Sunshade, Starlight"
    • Jessica Dealing, "Cranes"
    • Justine Frakes, "Scattered Ashes"
    • Mariah Hopkins, "Waiting for the Great Fire"
    • Alexander Christian Lwin, "Spark"
    • Katy Madgwick, "Dust Jackets"
    • Shel Merlow, "In Defense of an Innocent"
    • A.M. Metivier, "Jane Austen Sucks"
    • M. W. Philip, "Let’s Go, Cowboy!"
    • Robert Lloyd Richardson, "Riding the Bull to the Louisville Market"
    • Christopher Rowson, "The Beginner's Guide to Endings"
    • Rachel Salhi, "Control Measures"
    • Phillip Sandberg, "Hail Celsius"
    • Shannon Savvas, "Ronnie"
    • Jennifer Smith, "The Morning Stars"
    • Marie Wilson, "Violette Aubergine"
    • Mado Yatta, "Hell Yes!"
    • Stephen Robin Yolland, "The Hunt"

And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the Winner of this year's competition soon!

21 October 2019

We're pleased to announce the thirty-five Honorable Mentions in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. Although these stories did not make it into the final anthology, they all reached the penultimate round of selection, impressing our many readers. We're certain you'll be seeing more from these writers in the future. Please join us in offering congratulations to all the honorable mentions!

    Therese Adams, “Save the Children” • Jules Van Arden, “Polilla” • Martin Brennan, “Trailblazers” • Kale Brown, “City in the Sky” • Gilbert Ben Brynildsen, “The Black Hot Sauce” • Grey C. C., “Stowaways” • Stephanie Clark, “The Weight of Ash” • Ilana Conway, “The Pizza” • Michele Conyngham, “Sonnet 45 Degrees” • Shona Cook, “Walpurgisnacht” • Shona Cook, “Wild Swimming” • Shauna Crampsie, “An Exhaustive Cycle” • Nicole S. Entin, “The Divine Grill” • T.Y. Euliano, “The Intern” • Michelle Henry, “Petting Bumblebees” • Morgan Jeffery, “Painted Red” • Meredith Jelbart, “Of Fire and Flood” • Molly S. Kelash, “No Woman No Cry” • Mel Kennard, “Children of Summer” • Michael Lynch, “Eta Aquariids” • Sean McConville, “Rodentia Mutatis” • Jeremy McDonald, “The Westering Bulb” • Janna Tinley Miller, “Under the Grey” • Lucy Sarah Moor Tyndall, “The Gaslighting” • Cassandra Parkin, “The Only Things That Happen Are the Things inside Your Head” • Kate Phimy, “Remember Remember” • David Prysock, “Proxies” • Eric Reitan, “Phoenix without Fire” • Rick Shingler, “The Crusade of the Hellfire Kid” • Barbara Thompson, “Pull the Plug and Jump” • Alana Turner, “The Cleansing” • Seth Venable, “Sunburn” • Cecily Jane Vermote, “Sounds in the Dark” • Barbara Young, “Utopolis” • Sara E. Zeller, “Burning Bright”

In recognition of their fine work, every Honorable Mention will be listed in this year's anthology, PLEASURE TO BURN. And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the Finalists of the competition soon!

22 September 2019

It's been an incredible summer here in the Pacific Northwest. We've read, re-read, counted, savored, collated, re-organized, and ranked every story, poem, and epistle, and now the countdown begins! In approximately one month we will announce the Honorable Mentions for this year's contest. Shortly thereafter we will announce the twenty-one Finalists whose stories made it into this year's anthology. And shortly after that we will announce the US $500 Winner of this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition.

We hope you're excited — we certainly are!

04 June 2019

The submission period has closed for the 2019 Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. Thank you everyone for your enthusiasm and participation — it's been a thrilling few months! We're still processing many of your submissions, so if you've sent us a story in the last few days, it may take a few more days before you receive confirmation. (If you haven't heard from us in a week, let us know.)

Of course just because the submission phase of the competition is over, it doesn't mean our work is done. In fact, now comes the fun part! Over the next few weeks we will be distributing your work to our editorial team so they can read the thrilling heterogeneity of your 2019 stories, poems, and epistles. Once our editors have reviewed every story, we will be passing your best work to our illustrious judges.

Winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions with be announced sometime in the late summer or early fall.

19 March 2019

We're pleased to announce the launch of the 2019 Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. The competition awards original works of short fiction under 2500 words, and is open to all writers, in all genres. The catch: We provide your opening and closing lines chosen from a classic work of literature — you provide the rest. This year, aspiring writers will be offered the opening and closing lines from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The winning story will receive USD $500 and runners-up will receive USD $50. In addition, winners and runners-up will be published by Regulus Press in a forthcoming 2019 Anthology of Literary Taxidermy. The idea originated in a book of short stories called The Gymnasium by Mark Malamud. This year's competition ends on June 4th, 2019. You can read all about last year's competition here: The 2018 Competition.

05 November 2018

Thank you, everyone, for the enthusiasm you've shown during this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. It's been a wild ride. We hope you had as much fun writing your stories as we had reading them. And if you didn't submit a story this year, we hope you'll stick around for next year's competition. We look forward to giving you a new set of first and last lines, and seeing the marvelous taxidermies that result.

Thank you also to the honorable mentions and finalists of all three contests. And of course to our three winners: Jenny Hanson, Shanta Gyanchand, and Nina Kaushikkar. Great work! We hope to see you again next time!

And when will the next competition start? We can't say quite yet. But stick around, or subscribe to our mailing list, and we'll let you know. A lot will depend on your continued interest in literary taxidermy. So why not start by showing support for both the current and future competition by picking up one, two, or — why not! — all three anthologies from this year's contests. We think you will have as much fun reading these stories as we did!

 

02 November 2018

We're pleased to announce the WINNER for the PARKER contest in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. We loved the way this story's contemplative narrator moved through time, and the simple conceit of telling a story through a length of silk. The interpretation of Parker’s first and last lines was both bittersweet and beautiful. Selected from hundreds of submissions, this story of the near future impressed, delighted, and thrilled our early readers and final judges. Finding gems like this is the reason we run the competition, and we know you'll love reading it, too! Please join us in offering congratulations to...

    ✰ Nina Kaushikkar, an eighteen-year-old American student from Illinois, and author of the short story "Usha's Sarees."

You can find her story, as well as those of all our Parker finalists, in the 2018 anthology of literary taxidermy, TELEPHONE ME NOW. Please support future competitions by grabbing a copy today!

 

31 October 2018

We're pleased to announce the WINNER for the HAMMETT contest in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. We loved this story’s imaginative conceit and the interplay of its characters; and Hammett’s final line was the perfect “moment of truth” for a husband's relationship with his wife. Selected from hundreds of submissions, this story of the near future impressed, delighted, and thrilled our early readers and final judges. Finding gems like this is the reason we run the competition, and we know you'll love reading it, too! Please join us in offering congratulations to...

    ✰ Shanta Gyanchand, a British writer living in Pune, India, and author of the short story "Genesis."

You can find her story, as well as those of all our Hammett finalists, in the 2018 anthology of literary taxidermy, AGAINST THE BAR — Available now! And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the winner of the Parker contest later this week!

 

29 October 2018

We're pleased to announce the WINNER for the CARROLL contest in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. We loved this story’s playful format, its narrative indirection, and its casual world-building; and we thought the use of Carroll’s first and last lines was both clever and adept. Selected from hundreds of submissions, this story of the near future impressed, delighted, and thrilled our early readers and final judges. Finding gems like this is the reason we run the competition, and we know you'll love reading it, too! Please join us in offering congratulations to...

    ✰ Jenny Hanson, Australian author of the short story "May 8th, 2025."

You can find her story, as well as those of all our Carroll finalists, in the 2018 anthology of literary taxidermy, ONE THING WAS CERTAIN — Available now! And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the winners of the Hammett and Parker contests later this week!

 

26 October 2018

We're pleased to announce the FINALISTS for the PARKER contest in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. From dog thieves to stock brokers, from fed-up housewives to dangerous boyfriends, from bucolic daydreams to medical nightmares — these nineteen stories, selected from hundreds of submissions, delighted both early readers and final judges. And all these stories will be included in the literary taxidermy anthology TELEPHONE ME NOW, soon to be published by Regulus Press. We're sure you'll love reading each of them! Please join us in offering congratulations to all the Parker contest finalists — great work!

    • Robert Atkinson, "Skip Counting"
    • Hayleigh Clarkson, "Rue de Dubois"
    • Will Clements, "Counting Inches in the Emergency Room"
    • Shona Cook, "Chronometry"
    • Jack Slater, "The Breaking Point"
    • Justine Gardner, "Nature Will Provide"
    • Ellen Grace, "Happily Ever After"
    • Arynn Haws, "Everything After"
    • Jocelyn Hoyle, "Still Movement"
    • Nina Kaushikkar, "Usha's Sarees"
    • Josh Lefkowitz, "My Final Lover"
    • Joseph Maguire, "God? Please."
    • Jill Nicole Marcotte, "Sugar Skulls"
    • Eleanor Musgrove, "Cleanup"
    • Mark Scheel, "Three Calls and a New Rabbi"
    • Cara Schultz, "Not at Home to Callers"
    • Max Stanton, "A Game of Telephone"
    • Ashley Stewart, "A Promise"
    • Grace Kimberly Teeples, "Underwire"

And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the winners of all three contests next week!

24 October 2018

We're pleased to announce the FINALISTS for the HAMMETT contest in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. From hard-boiled detectives to fashion-fail teens, from dissembling mothers to pre-assembled lovers, from advertising rodents to time-traveling girlfriends — these sixteen stories, selected from hundreds of submissions, delighted both early readers and final judges. And all these stories will be included in the literary taxidermy anthology AGAINST THE BAR, soon to be published by Regulus Press. We're sure you'll love reading each of them! Please join us in offering congratulations to all the Hammett contest finalists — great work!

    • Juan Pablo González Arboleda, "Between Two Foothils"
    • Kerri Ashes, "Thursday Afternoon"
    • Kale Brown, "Stories between the Floors"
    • Mateusz Buga, "The Slub Man"
    • Asumini C., "Assumptions"
    • Ryan Davis, "Served Cold"
    • J J Dolmage, "Missing Nora"
    • Sean Fallon, "Me and Mimi"
    • Peter Golubock, "I Sing the Body Electric Sheep"
    • Shanta Gyanchand, "Genesis"
    • Fiona Hardy, "Mary Madeleine's Initial Complaint"
    • Patrick Roycroft, "Unsatisfactory Man"
    • Andrew Segal, "Afterworld Souls"
    • Esme Stokley, "No Names"
    • Kate Felix, "Female Jockeys"
    • Molly Wilson, "Nora's Anniversary Present"

And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the finalists from the Parker contest later this week!

22 October 2018

We're pleased to announce the FINALISTS for the CARROLL contest in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. From nosey neighbors to alien lovers, from examinations of race to explorations of alcoholism, from concrete poetry to Lovecraftian horror — these twenty stories, selected from hundreds of submissions, delighted both early readers and final judges. And all these stories will be included in the literary taxidermy anthology ONE THING WAS CERTAIN, soon to be published by Regulus Press. We're sure you'll love reading each of them! Please join us in offering congratulations to all the Carroll contest finalists — great work!

    • Hildie S. Block, "Dig If You Will"
    • Ned Herbert Boyden, "The Library"
    • Jenny Hanson, "May 8th, 2025"
    • Beau Jackson, "Curses"
    • Kathy Renee Jeffords, "What Happened to Prissy McGibbon"
    • Samantha Johnson, "Serpent King"
    • Tyler Jones, "Smooth Edges"
    • Mel Kennard, "Kit and Nella"
    • Amber Logan, "KTN 2.3"
    • S J Matthews, "In The Know"
    • Diana Mayes, "The Sunny Spot Murder"
    • Sean Patrick McGinley, "Psychopomp"
    • Eleanor Musgrove, "Starcat"
    • A. R. Delano, "Storyteller on a Tangent"
    • Rhiannon Pickstone, "The Clouds and the Stars"
    • Barbara Corrado Pope, "Indecision"
    • Jessica Schmid, "The Indigo Jar"
    • Shyamal R Swamy, "Literary Kittens"
    • Samantha Thorn, "The Final Truth"
    • Kathleen Wright, "Breaking the Silence"

And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the finalists from the Hammett and Parker contests later this week!

19 October 2018

We're pleased to announce the honorable mentions for the PARKER contest in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. Although these stories did not make it into the Parker anthology, they all reached the penultimate round of selection, impressing our many readers. We're certain you'll be seeing more from these writers in the future. Please join us in offering congratulations to all the Parker contest honorable mentions!

    Yomn Alkhazaali, “-31.5” • Amy Bojang, “All at Sea” • Corina Clancy, “Call Me Cleopatra” • Cathy Day, “Forever A Part” • Essie Dee, “Working with Numbers” • Olivia Edwards, “Beloved Significant Other” • Sean Fallon, “Sext” • Dorothy Faulk and Marianne Nicol, “The Calling” • Deb y Felio, “New York, New York” • Lara Haynes Freed, “Belonging” • Ana Gardner, “The Recursion Problem” • AV Bruce, “The Trumpet” • Emily Hanlon, “Reunion” • Kirsten Irving, “The Tombola” • Samantha Johnson, “The Jellybean Bet” • Molly S. Kelash, “Death by Numbers” • Bethany King, “Silence” • Rachele Krivichi, “In the Shop” • Carol June Martin, “Pub People” • Lynn Maver, “The Whole Picture” • Rachelle Longé McGhee, “Femme Fatale” • D. A. Madigan, “Parker” • Charlene Mertz, “Thanksalot” • Skylar Nitzel, “Frozen Time” • Kierri Price, “Arithmomania” • Elaine Ricci, “A Dark Obsession” • Sierra B. Ryan, “Before Texting” • Vinnie Sarrocco, “Last Moments of Velma Barfield” • Danielle Sepulveres, “Girls Interrupted” • Jennifer Smith, “Naxos” • Sierra Smith, “The Consequences of Ignoring the Rain” • Bryan Teague, “What Is in Front of You” • D. J. Tyrer, “Inspection”

In recognition of their fine work, every honorable mention will be listed in TELEPHONE ME NOW, the Parker anthology. And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the finalists of the all three contests next week!

17 October 2018

We're pleased to announce the honorable mentions for the HAMMETT contest in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. Although these stories did not make it into the Hammett anthology, they all reached the penultimate round of selection, impressing our many readers. We're certain you'll be seeing more from these writers in the future. Please join us in offering congratulations to all the Hammett contest honorable mentions!

    Emma Atkins, “Speak Easy, Say Nothing” • Stephen Austen, “Sanctuary” • Tabitha Bast, “Between Whores and God” • Heather Bourbeau, “Red Stone Haunting” • Kim Dicso, “Bookcases and Bullets” • Findlay Donnan, “Plastic Love” • Andrew Dovey, “The Tornado” • Paul D. Erland, “The Slender Thread” • Julie Fitzpatrick, “Old School Ninja” • Nicole Harris, “Poison in the Green Bottle” • Matthew Hauser, “Still Me” • Morgan Jeffery, “A Stranger in the Speakeasy” • Linda Baten Johnson, “An Honest Mistake” • Larry C. Kerr, “Christmas Angel” • Monet Lessner, “What She Wanted to Know” • Samuel Thomas Mannell, “Marmalade” • Carolyn Marguet, “Call Me Gwen” • Jim Mentink, “Triple Scrutiny” • Laura Morley, “The Profusion” • Sarah Pottinger, “Mrs. Giles” • Debbie Robson, “On Fifth Avenue” • Bethany Russell, “10 Cents” • Joanna Carla Santoso, “The Grim Reaper That Abandoned Her Duty” • Michael Seaton, “Better Watch Out” • Michele Thasim, “Buddy and the Girl” • Rhonda Trunnell, “Dames and Demons” • Marie Wilson, “Marty Saves Christmas”

In recognition of their fine work, every honorable mention will be listed in AGAINST THE BAR, the forthcoming Hammett anthology. And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the honorable mentions from the Parker contest later this week!

15 October 2018

We're pleased to announce the honorable mentions for the CARROLL contest in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. Although these stories did not make it into the Carroll anthology, they all reached the penultimate round of selection, impressing our many readers. We're certain you'll be seeing more from these writers in the future. Congratulations to all the Carroll contest honorable mentions!

    Ian Ableson, “Darwinian” • Hazem Abu-Ghazaleh, “After the Tulips Bloomed” • Timothy Borella, “You’ve Lost That Loving Feline” • Heather Carson, “The Black Cat” • Ailbhe Cashell, “Black and White, and Red Herrings” • Annina Claesson, “Cat Burglers” • Brian Douglas, “Atoned” • Sean Fallon, “The Kitten God Heresy” • Angelique Marie Fawns, “Wog World” • Jenni Ferwerda, “Sugar and Spells” • Jonathan Fore, “In Shadows” • Meghan Franky, “Pansy” • Laura A. Freymiller, “Katrina” • Sarah Gardiner, “The Loss of Winning” • Elsha Hawk, “Charlene’s Tails” • Natalie Hayden, “The Great Escape” • Carrie Hsu, “A Butterfly’s Blood” • E.E. King, “A Morality Tail” • Isabelle LaPapa, “The Traitor's Secret” • Carol June Martin, “Windwords” • Sean McConville, “Stopping by Woods” • Kyla McDonald, “Fishing” • Jeffrey A Messick, “What a Kitten Wants” • Sean Morton, “Around the Block” • Linda Mullaly, “Cats of Bedlam” • Tommie Olson, “Level” • Ylva Østby, “Pink Daisy Wallpaper” • Jennifer L Porter, “Kitten Roulette” • Guy Preston, “A Catnap Well-deserved” • Elaine Ricci, “The Whole Kitten Caboodle” • Hannah Todd, “Mr. Snuffles” • D. J. Tyrer, “At the Kitty Kat Klub” • Katherine McShane Urban, “Desert Creatures” • Dale Venables, “Everlasting” • Sydney Winner, “The Ink That Sealed My Future”

In recognition of their fine work, every honorable mention will be listed in the forthcoming Carroll anthology ONE THING WAS CERTAIN. And stay tuned! We'll be announcing the honorable mentions from the Hammett and Parker contests later this week!

10 October 2018

The time has come! Almost.

Next week, we will begin to announce the honorable mentions, finalists, and winners of the 2018 Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. We're excited to celebrate these incredible authors and to share some of their amazing stories. Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's competition!

24 September 2018

We've got some exciting news! Thanks to the incredible response to this year's competition and the outstanding quality of the submissions we've received, we've decided that we will publish not one, not two, but three anthologies of literary taxidermy.

ONE THING WAS CERTAIN   will contain the best stories from the Carroll contest. AGAINST THE BAR   will contain the best stories from the Hammett contest, and TELEPHONE ME NOW   will contain the best stories from the Parker contest. Each anthology will contain fifteen to twenty stories, all of which start and end with the exact same lines.

Stay tuned. We'll be annoucing this year's honorable mentions, finalists, and winners shortly. More updates to follow....

24 August 2018

It’s been a smoky few weeks here in the Pacific Northwest, with ash from fires in British Columbia and California darkening our skies. The bright side, though, is that we've been indoors and focused on the task at hand: reading all the stories, poems, and epistles that draw their first and last lines from The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett. And we’ve done it — finishing more than 250 tales of Nora at the bar! And some fantastic tales, indeed!

So neither smog nor ash nor heat nor irritant volatile organic compounds in the gloom of night stays our editors from the swift completion of their appointed rounds, and we've now read everything — all the Carroll, Parker, and Hammett stories — and over the next few weeks, our editors will be selecting the finalists for publication in this year’s literary taxidermy anthology, and shortly thereafter our judges will select the winning story for each competition.

Stay tuned. We're in the final stretch. More updates to follow....

08 August 2018

It’s been another busy month of reading, and we’re pleased to announce that we've finished reviewing all the stories, poems, and epistles that draw their first and last lines from "A Telephone Call" by Dorothy Parker.

Soon our judges and editors will hunker down for their next task — selecting their favorite Parker taxidermy stories. Winners and runners-up for all three contests in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition will be announced sometime in the fall.

Stay tuned. More updates to follow....

07 July 2018

It’s been a busy month since the close of submissions, and we’re pleased to announce that we've finished reading all the stories, poems, and epistles that draw their first and last lines from Through the Looking-glass by Lewis Carroll.

Soon our judges and editors will hunker down for their next task — selecting their favorite Carroll taxidermy stories. Winners and runners-up for all three contests in this year's Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition will be announced sometime in the fall.

Stay tuned. More updates to follow....

06 June 2018

It's been a busy week at Literary Taxidermy HQ, as you can imagine, but we've finally got our heads above water. And WOW — what an incredible three months it's been!

For this year's competition, writers came from around the globe — including the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, France, Russia, Poland, New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom. They took the opening and closing lines from The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett, Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, and "A Telephone Call" by Dorothy Parker, and fashioned their own original stories (of up to 2500 words) in-between them. The stories spanned more than a dozen genres, including horror, science fiction, meta-fiction, poetry, satire, and romance. During the past week, submissions were coming in faster than we could process them. It is no exaggeration to say we are overwhelmed by the number and enthusiasm of this year's participants.

Of course just because the submission phase of the competition is over, it doesn't mean our work is done. In fact, now comes the fun part! We've counted, collated, organized, and filed every story; and over the next few days we will be distributing PDFs to our editorial team so they can read the thrilling heterogeneity of your 2018 stories, poems, and epistles. Once our editors have reviewed every story, we will be passing your best work to our illustrious judges. Winners and runners-up with be announced sometime in the fall.

04 June 2018

The submission period has closed for the 2018 Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. Thank you everyone for your enthusiasm and participation — it's been a thrilling three months! We're still processing many of your submissions, so if you've sent us a story in the last few days, it may take a few more days before you receive confirmation. (If you haven't heard from us in a week, let us know.)

Oh, and if you haven't already, please consider paying the voluntary entry fee. You don't have to pay it — it is voluntary — but if you submitted a story and you're feeling generous, well-off, flush, sympathetic to artistic endeavors, unusually affluent, or just in a good mood, pop over to this page to help make sure we get to run this competition, or something like it, again.

Thank you again for all your support. We can't wait to read the stories you have stitched together!

...Stay tuned for competition updates throughout the summer....