The inaugural Best in Rural Writing Contest has now come to an end. The Milk House is grateful to the competition’s judge, Gráinne Murphy, our cosponsor AcresUSA, our volunteer editors, as well as to the contestants for their excellent submissions.
Gráinne selected “Rural Route One” by Barbara Schmidt as the Best Short Story, and Laura Lewis’ “Leaving” for Best Essay. Each were guaranteed $100 in cash prizes. The decision of the overall contest winner was shared with the contest judge (1/5 vote), The Milk House staff (1/5 vote), the cosponsor AcresUSA (1/5 vote), and by the audience (2/5 vote).
This year we had a split decision between the contest judge, the cosponsor, and The Milk House staff. As a result, the winner was ultimately chosen by audience vote.
The results are in.
2023 Best in Rural Writing Contest Winner
Congratulations to Laura Lewis and her essay “Leaving.” You can listen to “Leaving” below.
Laura Lewis is a retired farmer, mother and grandmother with a B.S. in Communications and Public Relations from Central Missouri University at Warrensburg, MO, USA. Her work has been published in several anthologies: Kaleidoscope’s Reflections of Women’s Journeys: In my Shoes, KelLee Parr’s More Voices of the Willows; and the Adoption Hub of America, short stories in two publications of Chicken Soup for the Soul and Wising Up Press’s Power of the Pause. She has also self-published Where Roses Grow, a historical novel of the 18th century and the recipient of the 2022 Peggy Vining poet Laureate Award. She now resides in Kansas City, Missouri.
*
For information on next year’s contest, check back here in the spring.