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How San Diego Speaks to Me
A historic preservation writing contest
November/December 2023
Save Our Heritage Organisation invites amateur and professional writers to help us tell real-world stories of historic preservation in San Diego. This contest encourages writers to share their personal experiences, impact, connections, memories, and interpretations of historic places and buildings anywhere in San Diego County. Our goal is to foster a deeper understanding of the significance of these locations, their cultural relevance, and the stories they hold, to highlight and celebrate the importance of preserving our collective heritage.
We encourage participants to explore and reflect upon what historic preservation means to them personally and how it resonates with their identity, memories, and sense of place.
Participants are encouraged to zero in on home, neighborhood stories, historic parks, cultural and gathering places, and their memories of these locations. Participants should explore the connections between history, culture, identity, and personal experiences, shining light on why it is crucial to preserve these sites for future generations.
Contest Guidelines
- Eligibility: The competition is open to all writers, amateur and professional, including SOHO members, who have a passion for historic preservation. SOHO board and staff are ineligible.
- Originality: Submissions must be the entrant’s own original work.
- Language: Submissions may be written in English or Spanish.
- Length: Each entry may run from 500 to 1,000 words maximum.
- Formatting: Submit as an editable document, using a program such as Microsoft Word, Pages, or text
- Submission: Entries must be submitted via the official contest entryform.
- No entry fee. Administrative costs and prize money are sponsored by SOHO
- Deadline: March 31, 2024
Judging Criteria
- Connection to the theme: The depth and meaning of the writer's exploration of historic preservation, neighborhood stories, cultural places, and personal memories of these locations.
- Emotional impact: The ability of the entry to evoke emotions and to connect the reader and the writer's experience or message.
- Writing style: The quality of the writing, including clarity, coherence, spirit, and the ability to engage the reader.
- Overall impression: The piece’s overall impression and lasting impact on the reader.
Prizes
- 1st Place: $250 cash prize, and a certificate of achievement.
- 2nd Place: $150 cash prize
- 3rd Place: $100 cash prize
- Honorable Mentions: Selected entries will also receive a certificate of recognition.
Publication
All winning entries, as well as a selection of outstanding entries, will be published on the SOHO website, SOHOSanDiego.org and in Our Heritage eNews. This will provide writers with the opportunity to share their work with a wider audience and to contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding historic preservation.
Note: The contest details provided here are tentative and subject to change. Please refer to the official contest entry form on SOHO’s website for the most up-to-date information and complete guidelines.
We look forward to receiving your entries and exploring San Diego County’s historical and cultural tapestry through your unique perspectives!
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