BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:VEVENT UID:17282@kmun.org DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles;VALUE=DATE:20260408 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles;VALUE=DATE:20260601 DTSTAMP:20260415T150055Z URL:https://kmun.org/events/astoria-column-centennial-writing-contest/ SUMMARY:Astoria Column Centennial Writing Contest DESCRIPTION:Writing Contest Announced to Honor 100th Anniversary\nof the As toria Column\nDistinguished judges include Ellen Waterston\, Oregon Poet L aureate\n&\; Cheryl Strayed\, author of Wild\nASTORIA\, OR (April 6th\, 2026)— In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Astoria Column\, Friends of Astoria Column\, in partnership with The Writers Guild\, is pro ud to announce a regional writing contest inviting Oregon and Washington w riters to reflect on the rich history\, meaning\, and legacy of this iconi c landmark. The timing will coincide with the Astoria Column Centennial Ce lebration scheduled at an all-day event on July 18th\, 2026 in downtown As toria.\nDedicated in 1926\, the Astoria Column stands high above the meeti ng of river and sea as a monument to the layered history of the region—h onoring Indigenous presence\, exploration\, migration\, industry\, and res ilience. For a century\, it has risen above forest and fog\, its spiral fr ieze telling the story of the Pacific Northwest in enduring form.\nTo comm emorate this centennial milestone\, writers are invited to submit original \, unpublished work that engages with the Astoria Column—its history\, s ymbolism\, physical presence\, or the perspective it offers. Submissions m ay explore themes such as arrival\, migration\, inheritance\, legacy\, res ilience\, storytelling\, landscape\, and the spiral nature of history itse lf. Work may be contemporary or historical\, intimate or expansive.\n“We ’re thrilled to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Astoria Column by inviting writers to respond to its legacy through their own voices. The C olumn has long stood as a symbol of history\, storytelling\, and perspecti ve and this contest feels like a natural extension\, bringing our communit y’s current stories into conversation with the past.”\n— Marianne Mo nson\, Guild Executive Director\nContest Categories and Guidelines:\n● P oetry: Up to three poems per entrant\, with a maximum of 50 lines per poem \n● Memoir / Personal Essay: Up to 2\,000 words\nThe contest is open to all Oregon and Washington residents of all ages and backgrounds\, with cat egories for Adults\, Teens (13–17)\, and Children (7–13). Each writer may submit one entry per genre.\nSubmissions should include the writer’s name\, contact information\, and a brief third-person biography (50 words or fewer)\, and must be emailed to info@thewritersguild.org by midnight\, May 31\, 2026.\nDistinguished Judges:\n● Ellen Waterston\, Oregon Poet Laureate\n● Cheryl Strayed\, author of Wild\n● Marianne Monson\, Execu tive Director\, The Writers Guild\nWinners in each category will receive a $200 gift card to Lucy’s Bookstore along with an Astoria Column Centenn ial commemorative gift package.\nSelected works will be featured at the As toria Column Centennial Community Celebration on July 18th\, 2026\, and sh owcased on the official Centennial website.\nThis contest offers a unique opportunity for writers to contribute to the living story of the Lower Col umbia region and to honor a century-old landmark that continues to inspire reflection and creativity.\nFor more information\, please contact The Wri ters Guild at info@thewritersguild.org.\nContest link: https://www.thewrit ersguild.org/astoria-column-writing-contest\n###\nAbout the Astoria Column \nThe Astoria Column is a 125-foot-tall monument located in Astoria\, Oreg on. Dedicated in 1926\, it features a hand-applied sgraffito mural\, the o nly one of its kind in the world\, illustrating significant events in Oreg on and Pacific Northwest history\, from Native American heritage to the Le wis and Clark Expedition The Column is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains one of Oregon’s most beloved historic landma rks.\nAbout The Writers Guild\nA 501(c)(3) status organization since 2018 the Guild’s projects include creative writing clubs\, hosted readings\, writing workshops\, literary balls\, a writer-in-residency program\, and w elcoming authors such as Kim Stafford\, Karl Marlantes\, and Jericho Brown for an annual creative writing festival. They celebrate the beauty and im portance of language and believe a literate community is a thriving commun ity. ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kmun.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Asto ria_Poster_Writing-.jpg CATEGORIES:Public Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR