Contest
an epiphany/psychotic episode

an epiphany/psychotic episode

an epiphany/psychotic episode is the honourable mention for Room’s 2021 Poetry Contest, as judged by Kama La Mackerel. You can find the full list of winners, and what judge Kama La Mackerel had to say about each winning piece, here. ----- an epiphany/psychotic episode...

Poetry Contest 2021: The Shortlist

Poetry Contest 2021: The Shortlist

It was a tough decision to make, but here they are, the five poems (and poets) that made the shortlist for our 2021 Poetry Contest. A big thank you to our wonderful judge, Kama La Mackerel, who had the difficult job of whittling down a longlist of incredible poetry....

Short Forms Contest 2020: The Longlist

Short Forms Contest 2020: The Longlist

It's here - the longlist for our 2020 Short Forms contest! A big thank you to all the writers who shared their short form pieces with us and our esteemed judge, Lisa Bird-Wilson, especially during such a strange, tumultuous year. Here are the seven longlisted...

Baby Shark

Baby Shark

“Baby Shark” is the honourable mention for Room’s Short Forms Contest 2019. Many years ago, when I was four, I made a bargain with dida. If she took me for a movie in the evening, I would eat my lunch without fuss, like a bhalo meye. “Okay,” she said, “It has to be a...

Roping It In

Roping It In

“The calm lunatic—now that is something to aspire to.”—Mary Ruefle, “On Fear” I learned to skip this year. I use a heavy, knotted rope that thwacks the ground and burns my shoulders and whips my bare toes raw when I stumble. In the early days I’d walk around with...

Like a Love Story

Like a Love Story

Our 2015 CNF Contest Honourable Mention. It’s my job to iron the napkins. There’s hundreds of them, enough to do two back-to-back weddings in a single weekend, or a three-day golf tournament without re-washing. I don’t mind. It’s quiet down here in the basement...