⏳ Weekly Writing Contest | April 20: The Shoes
Submit your entry to this week’s guest judge Faiza S Khan by Friday, April 25, 5pm BST / 12pm ET
Welcome to the Weekly Writers' Hour Contest!
This week's challenge invites you to ground your writing in the tangible, letting an ordinary object open the door to something unexpected.
PROMPT
The Shoes: Write about a pair of shoes. They could be well-traveled, new and waiting for adventure, or hold a secret history. Whose shoes are they? Where have they been? What story do they carry?
Unpublished pieces of 500 words or less in any genre are eligible.
Submissions are due by Friday, April 25th, at 5pm BST / 12pm ET.
Keep reading for more information on prizes and FAQs – plus an introduction to this week’s guest judge, Faiza S Khan, Director of Silk Road Slippers.
Happy writing!
The Writers’ Hour Magazine Team
Meet Our Guest Judge: Faiza S Khan
Faiza S Khan is Director of Silk Road Slippers. She is a former Consulting Editor at Bloomsbury UK and currently a freelance editor working with publishing houses and individuals. She is also a consultant working with institutions such as the National Museum of Sweden, the Ubersee Museum in Bremen and the Basel Academy of Arts and Design on the art of storytelling for changing audiences. This year, she is one of 20 international mentors working with the German Federal Fund to help arts practitioners develop their creative process. Born to a diplomat father in London, Faiza hails from a line of women rulers in the Indian state of Bhopal and is as such an underachiever.
This prompt was inspired by Silk Road Slippers, inspiring and immersive writing masterclasses in London and Marrakech.
A Note from Our Editorial Team
There’s something powerful about writing through the lens of an object, especially one as intimate and revealing as a pair of shoes. They carry us, quite literally, through our lives. This week, consider letting the shoes guide the story: Who wore them? What memories are stitched into their seams? You might write from the perspective of the wearer, the shoes themselves, or even someone discovering them years later. Follow where the footprints lead, and let yourself be surprised by what you find.
How to Submit:
Submissions should be made through our online submission platform, Submittable, and formatted as a Word Doc.
For more details, please read the full Contest Guidelines.
The winning entries will receive:
First Prize:
$65 USD (£50 GBP)
Publication in Writers’ Hour Magazine
3-months of London Writers’ Salon Silver Membership (£79 value)
Commemorative Writers’ Hour trophy mug
Second Prize:
Publication in Writers’ Hour Magazine
1-month of London Writers’ Salon Silver Membership (£29 value)
Third Prize:
Publication in Writers’ Hour Magazine
FAQs:
What genres can I write in?
All genres - fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc - are welcome.Is there a word limit?
Your piece must be 500 words or less. Pieces that exceed this will not be considered. There is no minimum word limit.Do I need to submit in a specific format?
Please follow the instructions outlined in the Contest Guidelines.When is the deadline to submit?
Submissions are due by Friday, April 25 at 5pm BST / 12pm ET / 9am PT. Submissions received outside this window will not be considered.When will the winner be announced?
The winner will be contacted via Submittable, and the winning entries will be published in Writers’ Hour Magazine by Saturday, May 9th.Can I submit a piece I’ve already published?
Only previously unpublished pieces are eligible for this contest. (Published means anything that has already been made publicly available in print or online.)Can I use AI tools (like ChatGPT) to help write my contest submission?
No. We do not accept any AI-assisted writing for contest entries. All submissions must be the author’s original work and human-generated. Use of AI will disqualify you from this and any future contests.
Is there a fee to submit?
No, there is no fee to submit. However you must be subscribed to Writers’ Hour Magazine in order for your submission to be considered.
Congratulations to the winners of Who Wants to Live Forever!
We are thrilled to share the contest results for the week of March 30. Writers were invited to imagine life without end. Special thanks once again to our guest judge, author
.First Place: The Drought by
Second Place: time lapse by
Third Place: The one who always comes and goes by Ekpenyong Kosisochukwu
Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to everyone who participated. It’s a pleasure to share these pieces with you, and we can’t wait to see what you create this week.
PS - Write with us at Writers’ Hour
Come work on your submission at Writers' Hour—our daily silent writing sprints—where writers from around the world come together to work on their projects. It’s the perfect environment to focus, share space with other writers, and make progress on your contest entry.
PPS - ✍️🌏 24-Hour Writing Sprint (April 25-26)
On April 25th, we're hosting a 24-Hour Writing Sprint. You're invited!
Whether you're meeting a deadline, breathing new life into a draft, or planting the seeds of a brand-new project, do it alongside a global community of supportive writers, all writing together for 24 hours of creative momentum.
Join us for 1, 2, or all 24 hours. RSVP here.
Can I include a picture with my entry?