A new literature competition will be inaugurated February 1-3, 2019 at the Sarasota National Stamp Exhibition in Sarasota, FL in cooperation with Writers Unit 30, the society for philatelic authors. The format for this show will be different from the literature events currently held at CHICAGOPEX and StampShow. The Sarasota exhibit will be open only to articles of less than 8,000 words. The “articles only” show is intended to recognize the hundreds of authors of philatelic journal articles who each year contribute to the hobby with new information for collectors, exhibitors and researchers.

According to Liz Hisey, Chairperson of the Sarasota show, “At one point, single frame philatelic exhibits had difficulty gaining the attention they deserved until becoming a separate category in exhibit competitions. The same can be said for shorter articles, many of which provide outstanding research for us, yet are lost among larger philatelic works. We want to set them apart and recognize the authors.”

“This type of competition is needed to focus on shorter pieces that are sometimes overshadowed by longer, more complex works in regular literature exhibits,” says David Crotty, Writers Unit 30 Director and editor of its journal. “This is a real opportunity to help develop philatelic authors which is a major focus of our organization.”

Journal editors and authors are encouraged to submit entries for the show no later than December 1, 2018. A complete prospectus and entry form (2019_lit_prospectus) are available on the show’s web site – www.sarasotastampclub.com/show.html