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Message on a Bottle

Message on a Bottle is an annual micro-writing contest for the publication of very short stories and poems on the labels of locally crafted beverages.

For questions about this program, contact program lead Andy Verboom at communications@writers.ns.ca

The third annual Message on a Bottle contest—offered once again in partnership with Island Folk Cider House—will determine the name and label text for Island Folk’s new elderflower cider. We invite entries of very short prose (fiction or nonfiction up to 200 words) and very short poetry (up to 15 lines; no more than 200 words) from all Nova Scotian writers.

We encourage entrants to keep in mind

  • the new cider’s flavours (elderflower and apple),
  • Island Folk’s brand focus (local, playful, quirky, and down-to-earth), and
  • the distinctiveness of the entry title, including its suitability as a name for the cider.

The winning entrant will receive a $250 cash prize from the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS); a six-pack of the new cider named after their winning entry and featuring the full story or poem on the label; and an invitation to read their winning entry (with additional compensation of $150) at the in-person launch of the new cider in Sydney or Halifax.

Entries will be assessed by a jury composed of Island Folk Cider House staff and WFNS staff/board members.

To enter the Message in a Bottle contest, writers must meet the following criteria.

  • You must be a current resident of Nova Scotia, meaning that you live in Nova Scotia on the date of entry and will continue to live in Nova Scotia until at least the end of May, when the cider will be launched.
    • Seasonal residents are eligible, including any post-secondary student from another province or country who is a current student of a Nova Scotian institution and a current resident of Nova Scotia (as defined above).
  • You must be 19 years of age or older by the current entry deadline.

To be eligible for contest consideration, entries must meet the following criteria.

  • Your entry must be your sole, original work and unpublished in any format—whether traditionally, partner-hybrid-, or indie-/self-published, whether in part or in whole, whether in print or digitally.
  • Your entry must be no more than 200 words and (if poetry) no more than 15 lines in length. The entry title does not count toward word or line length.
  • Your entry must be submitted via the entry form at the bottom of this page.

Multiple submissions are permitted.

  • You may submit up to three distinct entries in a single contest year. This means it is possible to have multiple entries shortlisted for the prize.

Simultaneous submissions are not permitted.

Definition of "simultaneous submission"

The second annual Message on a Bottle contest—offered in partnership with Island Folk Cider House—determined the name and label text for Island Folk’s new strawberry-banana cider. Entries of prose (up to 125 words) and poetry (up to 10 lines) were accepted, with entrants encouraged to address the cider’s flavours (strawberry, banana, and apple) and Island Folk’s brand focus (local, playful, quirky, and down-to-earth).

The winning entry was the poem “The Fruit Bat” by Jamie Samson of Halifax, with finalist entries submitted by Katherine Burris (Bible Hill), Arianna Lehr (Halifax), and Darryl Whetter (Belliveau Cove). Entries were judged by Oriana Duinker (WFNS), Andy Verboom (WFNS), Jill MacPherson (Island Folk), and Alison Uhma (Island Folk).

“The Fruit Bat” cider, poem, and label were revealed at a launch party, hosted by Lindsey Harrington, on May 23, 2024, at The Brewery by Quinn’s (Halifax), where all contest entrants were invited to read their entries.

While available, The Fruit Bat can be ordered for delivery through the Island Folk Cider House shop.

"The Fruit Bat" by Jamie Samson, as it appears on Island Folk label designed by Alison Uhma

The inaugural Message on a Bottle contest—called the ‘Island Folk Micro-Writing Contest’ at the time and offered in a partnership Island Folk Cider House—determined the name and label text for Island Folk’s new raspberry-and-rose-petal cider. Entries of prose (up to 200 words) and poetry (up to 15 lines) were accepted, with entrants encouraged to address the cider’s flavours (raspberry, rose petal, and apple) and Island Folk’s brand focus (local, playful, quirky, and down-to-earth).

The winning entry was the poem “Blowing Raspberries” by Hannah Vincent of Truro, with finalist entries submitted by Faith Farrell, Barbara Lounder, Sherry D. Ramsey, and Jamie Samson. Entries were judged by Marilyn Smulders (WFNS), Lindsey Harrington (WFNS), Jill MacPherson (Island Folk), and Alison Uhma (Island Folk).

The “Blowing Raspberries” cider, poem, and label were revealed at a launch party on April 25, 2023, at Café Lara (Halifax), where all contest entrants were invited to read their entries.

"Blowing Raspberries" by Hannah Vincent, as it appears on Island Folk label designed by Alison Uhma

Entries opened Jan 31 and closed Mar 13, 2025

For the 2025 Message on a Bottle contest

Extended deadline: Mar 13

For the 2025 Message on a Bottle contest

Entry fee

The entry fee is $10 for a single entry, $8 each for two entries, or $6 each for three entries. Entry fees cannot be refunded.

Current General Members of WFNS get 25% off their entry fees. If you are a General Member, log in to your member account during checkout to access the member rate. WFNS General Membership is open to anyone who writes, regardless of writing experience or place of residence.

Pay Entry Fee Online

To pay fee by phone, call us between 9am and 4pm on weekdays at 902 423 8116 with your credit card details.

To pay fee by mail, send a cheque (payable to “Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia”) post-dated for no later than the contest deadline.

Entry form

If it is discovered that any of these declarations is false, all below entries will be deemed ineligible.
If the name you commonly use or publish under differs from your legal name, please include your legal name in parentheses—i.e., "Common Name (Legal Name)." If your entry wins, your legal name will be required for prize payment.
Must include city/town, province, and postal code..
Please write in third person (i.e., using your name and pronouns rather than "I") and include mention of significant and/or recent previous publications.

Details of entry

To add another entry, click the plus symbol (⊕) to the right of the current entry.
To delete an entry, click the minus symbol (⊖) to its right.
Click or drag files to this area to upload. You can upload up to 3 files.
• Each entry document must be a single digital file (.doc or .pdf format) that contains one complete entry and no more than one complete entry.
• Each entry document must have a file name as follows: Title – Message on a Bottle (where "Title" is the full title of that entry).
• Incomplete, misnamed, or file-unreadable entry documents may be deemed ineligible.
Indicate the method by which you paid the Message on a Bottle contest entry fee. Fee payment must be sent before you submit your entry.

Partner

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia is grateful to Island Folk Cider House for their annual partnership in realizing Message on a Bottle.

1113 Marginal Road

Halifax, NS B3H 4P7

902 423 8116

contact@writers.ns.ca

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The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia is based in Kjipuktuk, in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship,” which Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) Peoples first signed with the British Crown in 1725. The treaties do not deal with surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognize Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) title and establish the rules for an ongoing relationship between nations.

© Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, 2025. All rights reserved.

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Simultaneous Submissions

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) administers some programs (and special projects) that involve print and/or digital publication of ‘selected’ or ‘winning’ entries. In most cases, writing submitted to these programs and projects must not be previously published and must not be simultaneously under consideration for publication by another organization. Why? Because our assessment and selection processes depends on all submitted writing being available for first publication. If writing selected for publication by WFNS has already been published or is published by another organization first, copyright issues will likely make it impossible for WFNS to (re-)publish that writing.

When simultaneous submissions to a WFNS program are not permitted, it means the following:

  • You may not submit writing that has been accepted for future publication by another organization.
  • You may not submit writing that is currently being considered for publication by another organization—or for another prize that includes publication.
  • The writing submitted to WFNS may not be submitted for publication to another organization until the WFNS program results are communicated. Results will be communicated directly to you by email and often also through the public announcement of a shortlist or list of winners. Once your writing is no longer being considered for the WFNS program, you are free to submit it elsewhere.
    • If you wish to submit your entry elsewhere before WFNS program results have been announced, you must first contact WFNS to withdraw your entry. Any entry fee cannot be refunded.

Prohibitions on simultaneous submission do not apply to multiple WFNS programs. You are always permitted to submit the same unpublished writing to multiple WFNS programs (and special projects) at the same time, such as the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program, the Emerging Writers Prizes, the Jampolis Cottage Residency Program, the Message on a Bottle contest, the Nova Writes Competition, and any WFNS projects involving one-time or recurring special publications.

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Recommended Experience Levels

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) recommends that participants in any given workshop have similar levels of creative writing and / or publication experience. This ensures that each participant gets value from the workshop⁠ and is presented with information, strategies, and skills that suit their career stage. The “Recommended experience level” section of each workshop description refers to the following definitions used by WFNS.

  • New writers: those with less than two years’ creative writing experience and/or no short-form publications (e.g., short stories, personal essays, or poems in literary magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks).
  • Emerging writers: those with more than two years’ creative writing experience and/or numerous short-form publications.
  • Early-career authors: those with 1 or 2 book-length publications or the equivalent in book-length and short-form publications.
  • Established authors: those with 3 or 4 book-length publications.
  • Professional authors: those with 5 or more book-length publications.

Please keep in mind that each form of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and writing for children and young adults) provides you with a unique set of experiences and skills, so you might consider yourself an ‘established author’ in one form but a ‘new writer’ in another.

For “intensive” and “masterclass” creative writing workshops, which provide more opportunities for peer-to-peer feedback, the recommended experience level should be followed closely.

For all other workshops, the recommended experience level is just that—a recommendation—and we encourage potential participants to follow their own judgment when registering.

If you’re uncertain of your experience level with regard to any particular workshop, please feel free to contact us at communications@writers.ns.ca