The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of English and the department’s honor society, Sigma Tau Delta, invite students and alumni to participate in a food, culture, and community writing competition.

Short works of fiction, flash fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction that explore the themes of food, culture, and community in the American South will be accepted.

Submissions for the competition must be emailed to Dr. Jeremy Ecke, assistant professor of English, by 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17. Contestants are allowed to submit two pieces. Each entry should be less than 1,000 words.

The competition will be judged by a panel of UALR writers. Winners will be invited to read at a special event with Caroline Randall Williams, author of “Soul Food Love,” from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at Bernice Gardens.

Top submissions also will be published in Rock City Eats. The English Department will showcase the work at its Cornbread Festival booth on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Contest entries should be attached to an email to Ecke in either a Microsoft Word or PDF file format. Submissions should not contain names or other identifying information. In the email, participants should list the submission titles, affiliation with UALR, and availability to attend the Bernice Gardens event if selected as a winner.

For more information and to submit contest entries, contact Ecke at jsecke@ualr.edu.