The Book Bin in Onley, Virginia, and Secant Publishing in Salisbury, Maryland, are announcing the winning entries in an international contest that will produce a one-volume anthology of new, original short stories on the human impact of climate change.

With recurring themes that include a warming climate, rising seas, and retreating flora and fauna, the 34 winning submissions were drawn from nine countries and ten states. Submissions were accepted from October 15, 2023 to March 1, 2024.

Cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250, respectively, will be awarded to A. A. Rubin of East Williston, New York (“Noah’s Great Rainbow,” First Place); K. M. Watson of Sykesville, Maryland (“Desert Fish,” Second Place), and Olaf Lahayne of Vienna, Austria (“Beyond the Timberline,” Third Place). Prizes are sponsored by the Book Bin.

All 34 stories, including the three prize winners, will be published in a book-length anthology to be released in September of this year.

"It was exceptionally difficult to pick just three stories for special recognition when we were presented with so many arresting takes on the climate crisis,” said the judges, Philip Wilson of the Book Bin, Ron Sauder of Secant Publishing, and Karen Gravelle, a widely published Onancock, Virginia author.

“In the end, the top three were chosen for their general excellence in storytelling, imaginative scenarios, and central focus on climate change and its many ramifications in the lives of individuals.”