Submissions for this contest are now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated!
What is Ekphrasis?
Ekphrasis means "description" in Greek. We will provide a work of art for you to use as a launching pad for your writing. Then, you'll dazzle us with your poetry and prose!
This contest, which is a partnership between Phosphorescent Lit and The Blue Bell Review, is open to students aged 6 - 16.
The Painting
The painting in question, by Aastha Pai, is forthcoming in Blue Bell's March 2026 issue:
📋 Guidelines
- Submissions officially open on February 1 — use the time leading up to that to brainstorm and draft your piece(s)!
- Prose: Should ideally be around the flash length, 1,000 words or less, but we'll still accept submissions of most lengths. Submit up to two pieces.
- Poetry: We don't have a strict limit, but submissions shouldn't exceed more than a few pages. Submit up to five pieces.
- While we love art (!), this particular contest is writing-oriented. As usual, artists can submit their work to our general submissions form.
🏆 What's In It For You?
- ✨ Publication in both Phosphorescent Lit and The Blue Bell Review
- 📜 E-certificate for participation
- 🥇 Winner's certificate if you win
- 📝 Personalized feedback for each participant
- 📚 Looks great on high school/college applications... just saying!
Submissions for this contest are closed.
