The Athenaeum Press at Coastal Carolina University is a student-driven publishing lab that focuses on telling stories of our region in new and innovative ways. 

We are currently working on several initiatives, including Gullah Geechee Foodways, Uncharted: Working Creatives in South Carolina, and the Communal Pen. 

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Submit to South Carolina Creative Sociology Writing Competition

The Department of Sociology at Coastal Carolina University (CCU) will host its third statewide South Carolina Creative Sociology Writing Competition. Students across South Carolina are encouraged to write inspiring pieces that combine The Sociological Imagination and the craft of creative writing to cultivate perspective-taking among readers. We invite submissions of short fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction that explore the theme: Roots & Routes

This contest is open to undergraduate and graduate students from any academic discipline who want to use creative writing as a tool to think critically and creatively about our social world. Cash prizes will be awarded to contest winners: First place: $500; Second place: $300; Third place: $200. Winners may also be published in Waccamaw: A Journal of Contemporary Literature. 

Description

The Sociological Imagination—a perspective that places ‘individual troubles’ and ‘personal problems’ within the context of broader public issues—is the cornerstone of all sociological coursework and scholarship. The purpose of this contest is to encourage the practice of a more public, interdisciplinary sociology and to make The Sociological Imagination accessible, relevant, and engaging to a wider audience. Moreover, its purpose is to demonstrate the intersection of academic and creative thinking in ways that forge micro-macro connections and cultivate empathy within participants and readers. 

This year’s theme, “Roots & Routes,” welcomes submissions that explore the roots that ground and support us, and the routes we’ve taken to get where we are today—as well as those that wind beyond the horizon ahead of us. We hope the theme can be interpreted broadly: the roots to family or place that anchor us, the ones we’ve outgrown and left behind, the routes that led us from point A to all the unknown points we’ve yet to find on the map, and many more than we could name here. We can’t wait to see what this theme means to you.

Creative pieces, regardless of topic, must be accompanied by a 500-word exegesis that highlights key sociological concepts, theory, and scientific research that contextualize the work.

 

Guidelines

  1. Entrants must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in a South Carolina college or university during Spring 2026.  
  2. Entrants may submit one poem, work of short fiction, or work of creative nonfiction. Poetry should be limited to 40 lines or fewer, while short fiction and creative nonfiction should be no longer than 3,000 words. Other than length, there are no restrictions as to the style, form, content, or subject of submissions, as long as the entry meets the contest theme of “Roots and Routes.”  
  3. Entries must be accompanied by a brief (500 word) exegesis that highlights the sociological concepts, theories, and scientific research that contextualize the creative work. 
  4. On the submissions page, please list your name, the title of your entry, and your college or university in the      forms where required. 
  5. Your name, the name of your institution, and your email must not appear on the manuscript of your entry. Your entry manuscript must have a title, but all other identifying information should appear only on the form in Submittable.       
  6. Entries must be received by April 1, 2026. There is no entry fee.       
  7. All entries will be blind-reviewed by an interdisciplinary panel of faculty judges.       
  8. Cash prizes will be awarded: 1st place: $500; 2nd place: $300; 3rd place: $200.        
  9. Winners may also be published in Waccamaw: A Journal of Contemporary Literature. 
  10. Click Here to read the work of previous contest winners published in Waccamaw: A Journal of Contemporary Literature. 

 

QUESTIONS? FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CONTEST, CONTACT:

Dr. Lisa Winters and Dr. Joshua Cross at creativeSOC@coastal.edu.

Thank you to our sponsors! This contest is funded by Communal Pen. Communal Pen is a community writing initiative that uplifts voices from all corners of South Carolina. Communal Pen is supported through a partnership with the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. You can find out more about the initiative at https://communalpen.com.