Elana Joy from California USA told a heartwarming story in her essay “Illuminated”. The illuminated gas light in her car sent her a depressing signal for low gasoline and possibility of getting stranded on a country road. But her encounter with some strangers brightened her perspective on humanity. Hidayet Adams from South Africa told a story of Joanne in “The Quality of Gratitude”, a college lecturer who had a difficult choices to make with her son: what to have for supper. But a phone call from her student helped out. Halimah Giwa from Nigeria is a 12th grader. He's a young student, but already experienced life hardships like losing a friend. He told us a story of making new friends, and more. Ana Costa from Portugal sent us one of her many short stories she wrote, that she found love and happiness during the pandemic. Many friends of hers read the story and were happy for her. Peter Volkofsky from Australia is an established writer. He takes advantage of the Biopage platform to tell his life stories. Please make sure to follow him and read his many Updates. Olivier Charest From Canada is a pilot, coach, athlete, student, and a writer! In his story he detailed the day that he took the flight test. During this pandemic he persisted and became a licensed pilot! ***** Thank you all very much for participating in the Biopage Storytelling Writing Contest! The results are now available on the contest webpage: https://www.biopage.com/contest It was a very difficult decision to make! We received many high-quality essays from around the world, it was so difficult to pick the winners. We are sorry that most of you will be disappointed; but remember you are all winners! Many participants appreciated the contest as an opportunity to stay away from the noisy social media, to really start writing again to express themselves, and to tell stories. Please keep in mind that this is a recurrent contest; you are welcome to write another story and submit again! Thank you and happy writing! The Biopage Writing Contest Committee

Besides our biannual Biopage Storytelling Writing Contest, there are many other writing contests with zero entry fee. We are listing them here with the closest deadlines on the top. This list will be updated regularly. Hosts of the writing contests wishing to be added to this list may put your info in the comment area below, or write to us at admin (at) biopage (dot) com. Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free Deadline: April 1, 2023 Purorrelato Micro-Story Contest https://www.casafrica.es/en/event/purorrelato-2021-micro-story-contest-0 Deadline: April 21, 2023 Author of Tomorrow Award https://www.wilbur-niso-smithfoundation.org/awards/author-of-tomorrow-2019 Deadline: April 30, 2023 L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest https://www.writersofthefuture.com/enter-writer-contest/ Deadline: June 30, 2023 Biopage Storytelling Writing Contest https://www.biopage.com/contest Deadline: July 31, 2023 New Voices Award https://www.leeandlow.com/writers-illustrators/new-voices-award Deadline: July 31, 2023 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence https://ernestjgainesaward.org/literary-award-criteria-registration Deadline: August 15, 2023 Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Contest https://hekint.org/submission-instructions/ Deadline: September 15, 2023 Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest https://aynrand.org/students/essay-contests/atlas-shrugged/ Deadline: November 6, 2023 ServiceScape Short Story Award https://www.servicescape.com/short-story-award Deadline: November 29, 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers https://pen.org/pen-dau-short-story-prize/ Deadline: November 30, 2023 W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/wy-boyd-literary-award-excellence-military-fiction Deadline: December 1, 2023 ******************************************************* PAST FREE CONTESTS The European Writing Prize https://www.litsoceu.com/writing-prize Deadline: January 1, 2023 The Immerse Education Essay Competition https://www.immerse.education/essay-competition/ Deadline: January 4, 2023 PenFluenza 3 Short Story Contest https://writefluence.in/2022/12/13/write-for-penfluenza-3-our-short-story-contest-for-2023/ Deadline: January 15, 2023 Write the World Poetry Competition 2023 https://writetheworld.org/competitions/181 Deadline: January 17, 2023 The Prose Weekly Challenge Contests https://theprose.com/challenges/newest Deadlines: Weekly January 2023 The Ireland Farmgate Café National Poetry Award https://munsterlit.ie/farmgate/? Deadline: January 30, 2023 Voice Talent Scholarship Competition https://www.voicetalentonline.com/scholarship/about-the-scholarship/ Deadline: January 31, 2023 The Cheshire Prize for Literature https://www1.chester.ac.uk/press-office/cheshire-prize-literature Deadline: January 31, 2023

The American Booksellers Association's specialty bestseller lists provide a current snapshot of what's selling in indie bookstores nationwide. Here is the Indie Biography and Memoir Bestseller List, based on sales at independent bookstores nationwide for the eight-week period ending November 13, 2022. 1. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy1. I'm Glad My Mom Died Jennette McCurdy, Simon & Schuster, $27.99, 9781982185824 2. Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships Nina Totenberg, Simon & Schuster, $27.99, 9781982188085 3. And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle Jon Meacham, Random House, $40, 9780553393965 4. Crying in H Mart: A Memoir Michelle Zauner, Knopf, $26.95, 9780525657743 5. Solito: A Memoir Javier Zamora, Hogarth, $28, 9780593498064 6. The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II Buzz Bissinger, Harper, $32.50, 9780062879929 7. The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021 Peter Baker, Susan Glasser, Doubleday, $32, 9780385546539 8. Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story Bono, Knopf, $34, 9780525521044 9. The Philosophy of Modern Song Bob Dylan, Simon & Schuster, $45, 9781451648706 10. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir Matthew Perry, Flatiron Books, $29.99, 9781250866448 11. The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir Paul Newman, Knopf, $32, 9780593534502 12. The Book of Delights: Essays Ross Gay, Algonquin Books, $17.99, 9781643753287 13. Gender Queer: A Memoir Maia Kobabe, Oni Press, $19.99, 9781549304002 14. Like a Rolling Stone: A Memoir Jann S. Wenner, Little, Brown, $35, 9780316415194 15. Educated: A Memoir Tara Westover, Random House, $18.99, 9780399590528 16. Maus I: A Survivor's Tale Art Spiegelman, Pantheon, $16.95, 9780394747231 17. A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries (2003-2020) David Sedaris, Back Bay, $18.99, 9780316270182 18. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands Kate Beaton, Drawn and Quarterly, $39.95, 9781770462892 19. Inciting Joy: Essays Ross Gay, Algonquin Books, $27, 9781643753041 20. Fox and I: An Uncommon Friendship Catherine Raven, Spiegel & Grau, $18, 9781954118119 21. Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman Alan Rickman, Henry Holt and Co., $32, 9781250847959 22. Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories Kelly Ripa, Dey Street Books, $28.99, 9780063073302 23. Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty Anderson Cooper, Katherine Howe, Harper, $18.99, 9780062964625 24. The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams Stacy Schiff, Little, Brown, $35, 9780316441117 25. Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe David Maraniss, Simon & Schuster, $32.50, 9781476748412 https://www.bookweb.org/news/indie-biography-and-memoir-bestseller-list-1628876

Thank you very much for participating in the Biopage Storytelling Writing Contest! The results are now available on the contest webpage: https://www.biopage.com/contest It was a very difficult decision to make! We received a large number of high-quality essays from around the world, it was so difficult to pick the winners. The winners will receive separate emails regarding award certificates and prizes. We are sorry that most of you will be disappointed; but remember you are all winners! Many participants appreciated the contest as an opportunity to stay away from the noisy social media, to really start writing again to express themselves, and to tell stories. Please keep in mind that this is a recurrent contest; you are welcome to write another story and submit again! Please continue to stay in the community of Biopage, using the website or more conveniently the iOS app or Android app to continue to write, and to stay in touch with your friends and other writers. If you use the iOS app or Android app, please rate and write a review at the App Store or Google Play. We are giving out an Amazon gift card to each user who wrote a review about Biopage at the App Store. Please email admin@biopage.com with your App Store or Google Play ID name and a screenshot of the review, and the gift card may arrive in 2 weeks. A certificate of participation of the writing contest will be available upon request by email. Thank you and happy writing! The Biopage Writing Contest Committee

Inspiring, uplifting, and heartwarming stories are wanted! With Covid-19 still lingering around, economic slowdown, social and political issues and setbacks, we are desperate to hear your feel-good stories! Pick your best story and picture to participate in our storytelling writing contest. Biopage is hosting a writing contest to remind people the benefits of writing. Each story (or one chapter of your stories) is limited to 5,000 characters or roughly 1,000 words. You can win $300, and five runners-up can win $100 each. (We decided to change the prize amount and award numbers, because we received so many excellent essays and wanted to give awards to more writers). How to enter: 1. Register for an account at biopage.com (or download and register on iOS or Android app). 2. First complete your profile, write a bio to introduce yourself, and make your profile as Public. 3. Click “Update” and post your essay there. Please include a title and a picture or video. Use "writing contest" as one of the tags. 4. On a computer copy the web address of your post, come back to this page, and click “Enter the Contest”, and paste the web address of the post. 5. Share your essay with your friends, ask them to like and comment. The winners will be determined by the quality of the writing, and the votes by other users' likes and comments. The contest is open to anyone from everywhere, every country, every corner of the world. The current contest ends July 31, 2022.