The William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition is one of America's leading literary competitions and has been presenting awards in fiction

Fiction

Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...

, nonfiction and poetry

Poetry

Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...

 since 1993. The event is sponsored by the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society of New Orleans. The contest draws celebrity literary judges, and regular participants have included John Biguenet

John Biguenet

John Biguenet has published six books, including Oyster, a novel, and The Torturer's Apprentice: Stories, released in the U.S. by Ecco/HarperCollins and widely translated. His work has received an O...

, Stuart Dybek

Stuart Dybek

-Personal life:Dybek was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Chicago's Little Village and Pilsen neighborhoods in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dybek graduated from St. Rita of Cascia High School in 1959...

 and Bret Lott

Bret Lott

Bret Lott is an American author of novels and short stories. Lott was born in Los Angeles, California, and went to school in the Northeastern United States. He taught creative writing at the College of Charleston for eighteen years, where he was also writer-in-residence.He was editor of the...

.

The award has been instrumental in launching the careers of many emerging writers, including Moira Crone

Moira Crone

Moira Crone is an American fiction author. She was born in the tobacco country in eastern North Carolina. She is the author of three collections of short fiction and a novel....

, Julia Glass

Julia Glass

Julia Glass is an American novelist. Her debut novel, Three Junes, won the National Book Award in 2002. Glass followed this with a second novel, The Whole World Over, in 2006, which was also set in the Bank Street, Greenwich Village universe with three interwoven stories featuring several...

, Jacob M. Appel

Jacob M. Appel

Jacob M. Appel is an American author, bioethicist and social critic. He is best known for his short stories, his work as a playwright, and his writing in the fields of reproductive ethics, organ donation, neuroethics and euthanasia....

 and Lynn Stegner.