Draw your inspiration from our gallery of shipwreck images and tell a story—fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry—in 3000 words or less, that brings these ghost ships back to life.

As with our regular submissions, we are not asking for explanations, but rather the stories that these shipwrecks evoke. Be as creative as possible, but to qualify for the contest, your story must reference a shipwreck specifically in the NYC waterways. (This doesn’t mean you need to write about a shipwreck that actually happened, but your story must reference the waterways around the city.)

Underwater New York presents the Shipwreck Story Contest in conjunction with the American Folk Art Museum’s exhibition, Thomas Chambers (1808-1869): American Maritime and Landscape Painter.

The winning story will be published in Underwater New York, and its author will have the chance to read at Underwater New York Free Music Friday: Shipwreck Stories at the American Folk Art Museum on March 5, 2010.

Contest details:

• Submit your entry using our online form and write “Shipwreck Story Contest” in the “which object” line.
• The deadline for submissions is February 12, 2010.
• Contest winners will be announced on the Underwater New York website on February 23rd.
• Questions? Contact us at underwaternewyork (at) gmail (dot) com