Mailer contest accepting submissions

Named after a journalist, novelist and co-founder of the Village Voice, and offering cash prizes of up to $10,000 to national winners, the first annual Norman Mailer High School and College Writing Award is accepting submissions through May 15.

The College competition is open to students who will be seniors, juniors or sophomores in fall 2009. Entries must be no more than 15 single-spaced pages. Submissions will be accepted online only. For submission guidelines, judging criteria and entry instructions, go to the National Council of Teachers of English website -- http://www.ncte.org/awards/student/nmwa

The contest is sponsored by the NCTE and the Norman Mailer Writers Colony.

Prizes will also be awarded to runners-up, honorable mention writers, and those writers whose work earns top scores in early evaluation rounds.

(At right, Mailer teamed up with New York newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin in 1969 to sarcastically run for New York Mayor and President of the City Council, respectively. Part of their platform was secession.)