“the ineffable“
Some emotions are too complex to name, some pain too heavy to bear, some beauty so potent it slips beneath our notice.
Prompt
- Words guide our emotions, yet certain complicated feelings are often hidden in our language: Saudade (Portuguese) is “a vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist, … not poignant sadness but an indolent dreaming wistfulness”; orenda (Huron) is “an extraordinary invisible power … to pervade all natural objects as a transmissible spiritual energy”; iktsuarpok (Inuit) is “the anticipation one feels when waiting for someone, whereby one keeps going outside to check if they have arrived” … Choose a non-English word that expresses an untranslatable feeling and explore it with your writing.
- In The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud theorizes that dreams fulfill wishes, even when they represent trauma and pain. How does pain resolve our unspeakable struggles? Explore the role of pain in our lives.
- In Cosmicomics, Italo Calvino delves into the romantic spirit of scientific phenomena. The story “The Distance of the Moon” depicts lovers jumping between the Earth and the Moon when they used to be close together in cosmic history. Choose a scientific theory or phenomenon and explore its literary interpretations.
Categories & Requirements
Answer the prompt with one of the following forms of writing.
Fiction
(including short story, science fiction, fantasy, and flash fiction)
Description
A fictional narrative that is written in prose.
Word Limit
500 – 2500 words for short story, science fiction, and fantasy; 1000 words maximum for flash fiction.
Dramatic Script
(including TV Writing and playwriting)
Description
Work that uses dialogue, action, and stage direction to tell a story, including scripts for television or stage.
Word Limit
500 – 2500 words. Please include a 250-word summary for your script if it exceeds 2500 words, which, adding up to the excerpt, is less than 2500 words.
Poetry
Description
Writing in verse, which may include but is not limited to formal poetry, free verse, prose poetry, and song lyrics
Word Limit
3 – 80 lines.
Personal Essay & Memoir
Description
A non-fiction work based on opinion, experience, and/or emotion that explores a topic or event of importance to the author.
Word Limit
500 – 2500 words.
Formatting
Your writing should be 12-point typed (Times New Roman), double-spaced (except for poetry), and submitted as a Microsoft Word or PDF file.
Eligibility
We accept submissions from students in grades 7 and above.
Declaration
Work that is submitted to the Nova Awards must be original work created by the participant and cannot be previously published. By submitting your work to the Nova Awards, you understand and accept that winners’ works may be included in Arsliterica journals.
Timeline
Deadline to Submission: September 1st, 11:59 pm (Eastern Time).
Awards Announced: September 15th.
Awards
Grand Prize (1 person)
The winner of the Grand Prize will receive a 500-RMB scholarship.
First Prize
Second Prize
Third Prize
Honorable Mentions
Judges
Adam
Master’s in Philosophy, Columbia University; Editor at Dow Jones Barron’s Magazine.
Elleen
Princeton University, majoring in Classics, with a focus on Classical Languages, Literature, and Linguistics.
Submission
You may submit your work by clicking the portal button below.