Eligibility:  Open to all entrants ages 14-24, worldwide.  Participants under the age of majority in their country of residence must have parental or guardian consent to participate.  If required, please download the consent form here, complete, and include at the time of submission.  Ages 14–18 must enter the Junior Division.  Ages 19—24 must enter the Senior Division.  Please enter the age division based on your age at the time of entry.  Employees of Working Fires Foundation ("WFF"), their immediate family members, and any person involved in the organization or running of the contest are not eligible to participate.

Entries:  Multiple submissions are allowed.

Legal Jurisdiction and Compliance:  By entering this Contest, participants agree to comply with their local laws and regulations regarding participation in contests.  Participants are responsible for ensuring their participation is legal in their country of residence.  WFF is not responsible for any legal violations incurred by participants.

Prizes:  10 winners from each of 2 categories (writing, all other media).  Five winners will be chosen from the Junior Division of each category; 5 winners from the Senior Division of each category.  Each winner will be published in an anthology or on the website; all winners will receive three free copies of the anthology.  One first place winner overall in the Senior Division will receive $1,000; one first place winner overall in the Junior Division will receive $500.  No royalties on the book will be given.  Prizes will be delivered via bank transfer, subject to the laws and regulations of the winner's country of residence.  WFF is not responsible for any bank fees, currency exchange fees, or taxes incurred by the winner as a result of prize receipt.

Data Protection:  WFF will collect, store, and use participants' data in accordance with all relevant data protection laws, including the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for EU residents, and our privacy policy.

Marketing:  WFF reserves the right to use entrants’ work for marketing and promotional purposes in any and all media.

Language, Originality, and AI:  Writing must be original, written in English (to ensure fair judging and consistency across entries), and must not have been previously published or won any awards.  Works quoted or referenced must be properly cited.  Use of AI is allowed; however, quotation marks must be used and the AI cited.  Works entirely written by AI will be disqualified.  AI-generated visual and audio art is allowed but must be acknowledged as such and the application cited.

Authenticity:  WFF reserves the right to verify the eligibility of all participants and the authenticity of their entries.

Disqualification:  WFF reserves the right to disqualify any submission if the participant fails to comply with the contest rules, local laws, or if WFF is unable to verify the participant's age or residency status.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution:  This contest is governed by the laws of the United States.  In the event of any dispute arising out of or in relation to the contest, the participant agrees to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in the United States.

Deadline:  Contest entries must be received by 3/1/24 11:59 p.m. EST.  Late or incomplete entries will not be considered.  Submissions close automatically at the Contest deadline.  Please plan accordingly!

Judges:  WFF will run this Contest fairly, ethically, and with integrity.  By entering the Contest, participants agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the judges, which are final and binding.   Winners will be notified by email before they are publicly announced.  

Rules:  WFF reserves the right to modify these rules at any time without notice.

This Contest is void where prohibited by law.