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Announcing the Winners of the University of Iowa 100-Word Microstory Contest

Thank you to the 241 UI alumni and friends who submitted microstories during July’s contest.

We asked participants to create a fictional story of 100 words or less based on one of two photographs celebrating the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication's 100th anniversary.  

Prompt A

Prompt A. Two students sit in a room full of discarded folding chairs while watching an old tube TV. An American flag hangs on the wall behind them and balloons hover above the TV.
Source: University of Iowa Hawkeye Yearbook, 1983 (p. 49)

Prompt B

Prompt B. A smiling woman clutches a handful of publications in her left arm while showcasing the publication with her right hand.
Source: University of Iowa Hawkeye Yearbook, 1933 (p. 213)

Our judges worked diligently the past few weeks to read submissions that poured in from 37 states and as far away as India and Denmark.

Without further ado, here are the winning microstories. The winners of the four grade-school categories will each receive a Hawkeye writer’s pack and a $25 Bookshop.org gift card. The winners of the two adult categories will each receive a wooden pen (made from a tree limb that was on the UI campus), and a $50 Bookshop.org gift card.

2024 UI 100-Word Microstory Contest, Winning Stories and Honorable Mentions

Thank you to all who participated! Please join us for the next Write Now contest: Hawkeye Haiku, Oct. 14–25, 2024. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy reading these stories from your fellow Hawkeyes as much as we did! 

Creating Media that Matters

Visit the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication website to see how Hawkeyes are telling stories that change the world. Established in 1924, the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication has long been recognized as a leader in journalism education. The school has produced thousands of distinguished graduates, and some have gone on to win Pulitzer Prizes, Peabody Awards, and Emmy Awards.

Still Have the Writing Bug?

Keep your creative juices flowing by exploring these University of Iowa literary resources.

More Information

For questions, email write.now@foriowa.org.

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