This contest is now closed.

Introducing the first ever Geist Work Shanty Writing Contest.

The late, great scientist Stephen Hawking once said “Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it.” But let’s face it, sometimes work feels like a drudgery; sometimes the last thing you want to do is get out of bed to spend your day chained to a desk. And as any seafarer worth their salt knows, when that feeling strikes the best thing to do is sing about it.

In old timey days workers sang songs, known as shanties, to pass the time while labouring away in the mines, hoisting sails or chopping lumber. Today, more of us work in offices than out in the field—but the dread of labour endures!

We at Geist want to encourage the spirit of camaraderie in the workplace by bringing back the work shanty, but updated for new timey jobs: mail delivery, web development, nursing, aromatherapy, dog training, coffee slinging, tow truck driving, Tweet scheduling, etc!

Here’s how it works:

Write a shanty of 500 words or less following a traditional sea shanty form of alternating verse and chorus. (For an example, check out “Barrett’s Privateers” by Stan Rogers, or Geist's work shanty examples.) We encourage submissions by multiple authors: get your whole shop, camp, store or office in on the writing fun and submit as a group. If you use a particular tune as your model, let us know which one it is.

Cash prizes and publication in Geist and at geist.com for the top three!

Deadline: December 15, 2018 at 11:59 PM PST.

Judging is blind, so please do not write your name on your entry.

Please make sure the cover letter field includes your mailing address, telephone number and email address. Even though you have already entered this information when creating your Submittable account, we still need it to appear in the cover letter.

Prizes:

$500

$250

$150

All winning entries will be published in Geist and on geist.com

Entry Fee: $20

Includes a one-year subscription to Geist, Canada's favourite literary magazine. International entrants will receive the digital edition.

You will be asked to pay the entry fee before submitting your work. You can then enter the name of your submission and fill in the cover letter field, and then attach your entry.

All additional entries are $5.

Please only use this category if you have already submitted your first Work Sea Shanty entry. This category should only be used for additional entries.

Those who attempt to use this category fraudulently will be disqualified.Please email geist@geist.com if you have any questions about entering the contest.

How to enter:

Submit your first entry online through Submittable here.

Additional entries can be submitted here.

You can also mail your entry, fee and cover letter to us at:

Work Shanty Contest

210-111 West Hastings Street

Vancouver, BC V6B 1H4

Entries without an accompanying cover letter or entry fee will not be accepted. Entries must be postmarked by contest deadline.

Good luck and happy writing!

Still unsure? Check out the Work Shanty FAQ. If you still have questions please email geist@geist.com or call 604-681-9161 with your queries.

THE FINE PRINT

Winning entries: Geist takes first serial rights for print and non-exclusive electronic rights to post the text and image at geist.com. All other rights remain with the author.

All publication rights for non-winning entries are retained by the entrants.

Geist contests are open to all entrants except Geist staff, contract employees, board members and executives of the Geist Foundation.