I just got this press release in my email this morning:

Eighth Annual Texas Book Festival/UIL Fiction Writing Contest
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) and the Texas Book Festival announce the 8th Annual Fiction Writing Contest. Texas junior high and high school students are invited to submit a piece of original fiction, no more than 2,000 words in length, to be judged by Texas authors, some of whom will appear at the 2009 Texas Book Festival, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in Austin.
Entries should focus on the theme, “In My Own Backyard.” Judges will look for excellence in use of dialogue, character development, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution. Submitted entries will be considered in three divisions: Grades 7-8; Grades 9-10; Grades 11-12. Authors will enter the division for which they were a student during the 2008-09 school year.

Schools are limited to three entries per division. There is no entry fee. Entries must be double-spaced and formatted as a Microsoft Word document, accompanied by a completed contest entry form, then faxed to the Texas Book Festival office at (512) 322-0722 no later than July 1, 2009.

Prizes will be awarded to the first, second, and third place finishers per division. First-place winners will be invited to Austin to receive an award and to read their works during the 2009 Texas Book Festival. Winning entries will also be published on the Texas Book Festival Web site.

To view the 2008 winning entries, visit the festival website.

Entry forms are posted on both the UIL and the Texas Book Festival Web sites.

I don’t know yet whether homeschooled students will be eligible to enter or not.