Envisioning our futures with Alaska’s next leaders

We all have ideas of what we’d like our communities to look like, but no one knows exactly how we’ll get there. Together with the Alaska Humanities Forum, Alaska Version 3 is asking Alaskans to answer one question in an essay, short story, poem, song, picture or video. This winter we’ve shifted course a bit to ask for help in writing scenarios for our future. Visit our Alaska Futures scenarios page to contribute. 

The question is:

You as Alaska’s Future: What will you do to thrive in a

future Alaska fundamentally altered by climate change?

– What assets do we have?

– What do we need for leadership?

– What do our lifestyles look like?

– What do we need to do now?

Alaskans of all ages are seeking a new road map for our future, with creative ways to reach yet undefined locations. We all want to know where we are headed, but more importantly, we all want a say in what our future looks like. So we look to you, the community members taking part in the future of Alaska, for fresh views and wild new ideas for what the future could look like.

2022 Winner – M.C. MoHahani Magnetek’s poem, Keep Clam in 2076. See page 37 of the Alaska Humanities Forum Winter 2022-2023 Magazine, on page 37. 

2021 Winner – The winning stories, essays, and poems from around the state were published in the Fall 2021 Alaska Humanities “Forum” Magazine. Read the winning submissions here. 

Writing contest details

We are asking anybody interested in the contest to describe the Alaska that the next generation will live in — the “Next Alaska” of 2050 and beyond. We know we may attract stories of an apocalyptic warning, or poems of an optimistic vision of a shining state on top of the globe. Ultimately, whatever your future Alaska looks like, we wanted to hear it.

Categories

Essay, short story, poem, visual arts (graphic, short video…)

Prizes

Up to $700 to be awarded:

• Grand prize winner — $300
• Top submissions in other three categories — $150 each
• Top youth (under 18) submission in any category — $100

Judging Criteria

We are seeking community volunteer judges to help us decide on the best-fit winners for the following criteria:

• Creativity
• Follows prompt
• Within bounds of rules (see below)
• World-building / “show don’t tell”
• Thought-engaging / conversation-starting

We will meet to discuss the entrants, rules, and guidelines for judging to ensure anonymity and all final submissions were read and analyzed properly.

Rules

The rules for writers are as follows:

1. 1. Submissions must be original work, by the person or persons (groups are encouraged to apply!) submitting the work.  Work published previously in any copyrighted newspaper, magazine, book or other medium is ineligible. Writing for school publications may be entered. Previous Writing Contest submissions that were not awarded prizes maybe resubmitted with or without modification. 
   2. The author retains the copyright to the submitted work, and agrees to publication in AK Humanities Forum, print and online editions, and on the Alaska V3 website. Winners will be asked to provide an optional photo to appear with their entries.
   3. The contest is open to all Alaska residents, including out-of-state college students. All judges and the Alaska V3 leadership team, and their immediate family are ineligible.

• Contestants may enter one work in each category, fiction, or nonfiction.

1. 1. Submissions should not exceed 3,000 words, or 3 minutes for movies.  There is no minimum. 
   2. Each submission requires a separate completed entry form. Entries were to be completed no later than 5:00 p.m., Monday, September 26th, 2022. Only entries in a high quality digital format are accepted. 

• No submissions will be returned.

• Judging and winner notification will be completed no later than October 7th
• The decisions of the judges are final. Submission indicates acceptance of all contest rules at the time of submission.  The organizers reserve the right to make any changes to rules or terms, or reject any submission. 

 Submitting Entries

Questions can be sent to Ky Holland at kyholland@akv3.com 

We are not currently accepting submissions. If you are interested in organzin or sponsorin our 2024 contact, please contact ky at kyholland@akv3.com. 

These rules were adapted in part from the ADN Annual Statewide Creative Writing Contest

Support for this effort

Our sponsors include:

Thank you immensely to everybody who donated their time, money, and efforts to making this Writing Contest a reality in 2021 and 2022!

About Alaska Version 3

Alaska Version 3 is here to support the work of Alaskans who want to strengthen Alaska’s communities, people, and opportunities — resulting in a vibrant, self-sufficient, and globally relevant Alaska that supports its rural and urban citizens’ economies for generations to come.  

We are working on Compiling, Contextualizing, Connecting, and Creating materials that will assist in bringing Alaskans together to explore the questions: 

1. What is Next for Alaska’s civic and market economies?  
2. How will we get there?