The judging for the 2020 Culmination contest is complete. Sunspot Literary Journal received hundreds of entries covering every category.

The winner and finalist were selected by implementing a number of judging rounds. Submissions that advanced through the first round were placed on the longlist. Ones that passed through the second round were added to the shortlist (quarter finalist). The third round resulted in the list of semifinalists.

From this batch, the fourth round chose ten finalists. A winner and two runners-up were winnowed from this top tier.

Finalists:

Jasmine Kapadia for “wet pavement,” poetry

Amanda Bermudez for “Lacquer,” short fiction

Leah Dockrill for “Tuckamore,” art

Sarah Louise for “Real Life,” short fiction

Marieken Cochius for “Oumuamua,” art

Roxanne Bodsworth for “Mardungurra,” poetry

Abbigail Rosewood for The Void of Cards, novel

Runners-up:

Barbara Rugg for “Droplets,” art

Dean Gessie for “whitewash,” poetry

The winner is Christina Fishburne for the ending to a piece of flash fiction called “Outlaw.” Fishburne received the cash prize and will be published in the next digital edition. All finalists and runners-up are being considered for publication in the same digital edition. The works will also be included in the 2021 print edition, to be released in the fall.

People like them shape our world.

Order a copy of the 2020 print edition here.  Shipping to US locations is included, and the drop-down menu has options for shipping outside the US.

Also check out Geminga: $500 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry or Art, closing March 31.