Wisconsin People & Ideas, the quarterly magazine of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, is pleased to announce the winners of the Wisconsin People & Ideas / Wisconsin Book Festival 2009 Short Story Contest:

• 1st Place: “Deference” by Nancy Jesse, Madison
• 2nd Place: “Secret Recipe” by Gwendolyn Rice, Madison
• 3rd Place: “Buon Fresco” by Sylvia Gilbertson, Monona

• “Spaceman” by Willie Fitzgerald, Madison
• “The Empty Room” by Dion Kempthorne, Richland Center
• “The Obituary” by Dawn Bedore Proctor, Madison

Wisconsin People & Ideas is the only quarterly magazine in the state that regularly highlights Wisconsin fiction, poetry, and essay. Every year the Wisconsin People & Ideas / Wisconsin Book Festival Short Story Contest highlights the best Wisconsin prose. The top three winners of this year’s contest receive cash and other prizes, including a reading at the Wisconsin Book Festival on October 7-11, and publication in the next three issues of Wisconsin People & Ideas, the first of which appears in June 2009. The first-place winner also receives a free week’s stay at the Edenfred creative arts residency in Madison, courtesy of the Terry Family Foundation. Runners-up will have their work published in the online edition of Wisconsin People & Ideas. We will begin accepting submissions for next year's contest on September 1, 2009.

Judges for the Wisconsin People & Ideas / Wisconsin Book Festival 2009 Short Story Contest include Marilynn Annucci, John Heasley, and lead judge, Jesse Lee Kercheval. The contest was administered by Tim Walsh. In addition to thanking our judges, Wisconsin People & Ideas would like to thank our partner, the Wisconsin Book Festival, for their support. The contest also receives support from the Terry Family Foundation and Avol’s Bookstore.

About Wisconsin People & Ideas
Wisconsin People & Ideas is the quarterly magazine of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. Wisconsin People & Ideas features articles by and about Wisconsin scientists, scholars, artists, writers, policymakers and other people who serve as thought leaders in our state and help shape its culture. We also publish works from contemporary and classic Wisconsin artists, writers, and poets. The magazine is available at bookstores across the state, and is distributed free of charge to Wisconsin Academy members. For more information, visit wisconsinacademy.org.

About the Wisconsin Book Festival
The Wisconsin Book Festival is a major program of the Wisconsin Humanities Council, an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Funded by federal, state, and private sources, the WHC supports public programs that engage the people of Wisconsin in the exploration of human cultures, ideas, and values. For more information on the Wisconsin Book Festival, visit wisconsinbookfestival.org.