👻 CentraLit Presents… 👻

The Haunted Illinois Writing Contest

Don’t let the name scare you though – we are looking for ALL types of spooky. From Stephen King-esque Horror to silly spooks of childhood nostalgia!From the haunts of Alton, to the Enfield horror near Mount Vernon, to the Chicago Mothman up north, Illinois is full of the spooky and cryptic. Whether it’s original tales of things going bump in the night, retellings of urban legends, or the stories you told around the campfire as a kid, we want to hear them!

Please submit your spooky original fiction, essays, and poems following our standard submission guidelines by September 30th. Please include “HAUNTED IL CONTEST” and your name in the subject line of your email.

The BEST of the best will be presented as a “radio play” by a local actor for special presentation on our YouTube and website in addition to traditional publication for the Halloween season.* We will announce our actor soon, and we think you’ll be as excited as us – he is well known in the area for his amazing performances with the Centralia Cultural Society, and we just know he will bring a Svengoolie flare to all the horrific and comedic you can send our way for spooky season!

*ALL submissions will be considered for publication. Due to obligations and time constraints, only certain selections will be eligible for audio recording.