The Cai Emmons Short Fiction Contest is established by Wordcrafters in Eugene to honor the legacy of Cai Emmons, an author and teacher whose work often explored strong female protagonists, environmental consciousness, and the emotional intricacies of grief, loss, and family dynamics. Emmons's fiction blended the extraordinary with the everyday through magical realism, environmental climate fiction, and nuanced explorations of the human condition. The contest recognizes and supports diverse authors from Oregon and Washington, nurturing emerging writers and promoting storytelling aligned with the themes in Cai's work. The contest is open to writers residing in Oregon and Washington, with a submission window from August 1 to November 30, 2026. There is a $7 entry fee. While the prize is not specified in the provided information, the contest's mission is to celebrate Cai Emmons's legacy by recognizing and supporting diverse authors, nurturing emerging writers, and promoting storytelling that reflects the themes in her work. The curatorial vision of the contest is to encourage fiction that engages with the deeply human themes central to Cai Emmons's writing, including environmental consciousness, complex character-driven narratives, and the interplay of the extraordinary and the everyday. The contest particularly seeks to support writers from diverse backgrounds, including BIPOC, writers of color, women, non-binary, disabled, neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, and queer writers, as well as emerging writers. By aligning with Emmons's thematic interests, the contest aims to foster a community of storytellers who explore the emotional and environmental intricacies of contemporary life.