Announcing the Clermont Library’s 2026 Short Story Competition Winners
- Dot Crane
- 36 minutes ago
- 1 min read

Big thanks from the Clermont County Library to everyone in our community for submitting their wonderful stories during January! We had a great turn out for both the Teen and Adult categories this year, giving our judges some tough decisions to make.
With each age category having a first, second, and third place winner, we have our selections for congratulations below!
Adult Winners
1. Dead Man’s Hill by Brandon Cook
2. The Prayer Plants by Doug Coates
3. The Porchman of Branch Hill by Molly Blaker
Teen Winners
1. The Stellar Bearer by Emma Jenkins
2. Left Behind by Dylan McIntyre
3. Stories We Tell by Maria Blaker
The Stories Themselves
Looking Forward
The Short Story Contest is held by the Library yearly, accepting submissions throughout the month of January.
At CCPL we always encourage community feedback! If you’d like to see more challenges, programs, or any opportunities similar to this, check out our social media and give us some feedback.
A quick reminder that our first-place winners are the only ones not eligible to enter in 2027! But we hope to see the rest of you.
2026 Short Story Contest Rules For anyone curious about what to expect next year.
