ISAAC International AAC Awareness Month - October 2008

AAC Wareness Month LogoMANY STORIES - ONE VOICE
International Storywriting Contest

The Trustees of Communication Matters are delighted to support the ISAAC international storywriting contest to promote literacy and the AAC Awareness Month.

Our past, present and future will always be connected by the stories that are told – whether it was from
the town crier, grandmothers passing along family tales, books, artwork, song, newspapers or now in the age of video and the internet – stories always have a place in society and impact all who hear them.

No matter what your age is, what country you are from, what ethnicity or race you are, where you work or go to school, you have something to say, a story to tell, and the world is ready to listen!

As part of the 2008 International AAC Awareness Month, ISAAC invites you to have your voice heard around the world by entering the Many Stories - One Voice writing contest.

Who can enter the contest?

    Anyone who uses AAC is welcome to send in a story, whatever their age or skill. The story can be written with or without help, by one author or by a team.

How do I submit a story?

    You can submit your story in words, artwork, cartoons, photographs or other written or visual medium. Written stories should be up to 500 words and capable of being read at one sitting.

    Your story can be written for children or adults, and must include AAC within it (such as a character who uses AAC, someone learning about AAC, or AAC in the storyline).

    Read the ISAAC story writing submission guidelines below. Then download the submission form from www.aacawareness.org, and email your story and form to ISAAC at contest@aacawareness.org by 13 June 2008.

    For more information on how to enter the Many Stories - One Voice writing contest please visit: www.aacawareness.org or email: info@aacawareness.org

What will happen to my story?

    ISAAC will compile all the entries into an online publication so they will be available to be read during 2008 International AAC Awareness Month events. Selected stories will be highlighted at ISAAC’s 13th Biennial Conference in Montreal, Canada. All stories from the UK will be forwarded to Communication Matters (see below).

How is Communication Matters supporting the contest?

    Communication Matters will be showcasing some of the UK’s homegrown literary talent:

    • Copies of stories from the UK will be available at the Communication Matters CM2008 National Symposium in September.
    • Three of the best UK entries will be chosen by the Trustees of Communication Matters, and the authors will be invited to read their stories to an audience at a London venue in October 2008.

    Please read the guidelines for the UK story reading event below. More information about the UK events email: admin@communicationmatters.org.uk

What can I do to help?

Key Dates

  • 13 June 2008 Closing date for submission of entries to ISAAC
  • 2 August 2008 All stories presented to Sudha Kaul, ISAAC President
  • August 2008 Stories published on the ISAAC website
  • September 2008 UK entries chosen by Communication Matters for the public reading in October

ISAAC Story Writing Contest: Submission Rules and Guidelines

    1. Open to all people who use AAC - any age, any skill level!.

    2. All submissions must be original, and may not have been previously published, accepted for publication, or have been a winner in another contest prior to 13 June 2008.

    3. A short story, poem or essay with a maximum 500 words.

    4. FILL OUT SUBMISSION FORM, including the author's name, address, email address, phone number, age, entry title, and word count.

    5. Entries are only accepted by email. Please follow the submission guidelines as noted above.

    6. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: All entries must be received at the email address above by midnight on 13 June 2008.

    7. Only work which conforms to all the guidelines can be considered. Due to the volume of entries, we are unable to contact writers whose entries are incomplete. Check that yours meets every requirement before submitting it.

    8. The judges and conference/contest organizers cannot comment on individual entries.

    9. Stories will be recognized and announced at the ISAAC '08 Biennial Conference, Montreal, August 2008.

    10. Winners will be listed on the conference website at www.isaac-online.org shortly after the conference.

    11. Submission implies the author is granting first right of publication to ISAAC. The submitted story will be published as part of an online collection book to be read aloud by AAC users around the world during this year's International AAC Awareness Month, October 2008. Entering the contest also grants ISAAC the right to publish the entrant's name in the ISAAC website.

    12. Material may include cartoons, songs, stories between 300 and 500 words, photographs, or artwork.

    13. Items should be carefully prepared and proofread.
     

Communication Matters - UK Story Reading Event: Guidelines

    1. All entries submitted to ISAAC from UK writers will be copied to Communication Matters.

    2. All entries must meet the criteria set down by ISAAC to be eligible for the UK reading event.

    3. All entries will be judged by a panel, appointed by the Trustees of Communication Matters.

    4. Three entries will be chosen for reading at a public reading event in London in late October, by the authors.

    5. The authors, if invited, will undertake to travel to London at their own cost to read their story.

    6. Invited authors will be advised by 8 September 2008.

    7. Invited entrants whose work was completed individually will be able to bring one guest and one personal assistant.

    8. Invited entrants whose work was completed collaboratively may need to be represented by a maximum of 2 of the authors, each of these will be able to bring one guest and one personal assistant. The decision on how many people can be invited in these cases rests solely with the Board of Trustees of Communication Matters due to limited space at the venue in London.

    9. The decision of the Board of Trustees of Communication Matters is final in all cases.

    10. Copies of UK stories meeting the ISAAC guidelines will be available at the Communication Matters Annual Symposium in September 2008 and may be read aloud by any delegate or electronically to individuals or groups.

    11. Copies of all UK stories meeting the ISAAC guidelines will be available on the Communication Matters website as PDFs to download, from late September 2008 for any public story reading event organised in the UK during October 2008. These will be identified only by first names, communication method used and in the case of a young person under 18 their age.

    12. UK entries may be used by Communication Matters to promote awareness of the needs of people who use AAC, the provision of equipment and other activities relating to communication difficulties and literacy. Communication Matters will ensure any authors are identified only by first names, communication method used and in the case of a young person under 18 their age.