LIGHT Magazine 2025 Contests | How to Apply (Prizes: $500, $375 ,& $125)

Apr 15, 2025 Chinaza James-Ibe

How do we build trust in public health systems—and how do we restore it when it’s been fractured?

LIGHT Magazine invites creatives worldwide to respond to these questions through art, letters, stories, and poetry for their 2025 Open Call. They have centered this year’s theme on trust as a cornerstone of public health: how it is built, how it is broken, and how it can be healed through creativity, connection, and community.

Theme Overview

Trust plays a vital role in health equity, care-seeking behavior, and sustainable community change. LIGHT is calling for submissions that address the chaos, miscommunication, and systemic barriers in public health—and imagine new ways forward through creative expression.

Whether you’re a public health professional, a poet, an artist, or a concerned citizen, this is your chance to tell a story that matters.

Submission Categories & Prizes for the LIGHT Magazine Contests

Prizes are awarded in four categories. Each category awards:

1st Place: $500
2nd Place: $375
3rd Place: $125

Top submissions will be featured in LIGHT Issue 4, set for release in January 2026.

Categories include:

Dear Public Health / Letters to Public Health Prize
Letters that explore our relationship to health and healthcare, addressed to the system itself or the people within it.
PEN-3 Prize in Storytelling
Short stories that reflect personal or collective narratives about trust, equity, and health.
Poetry Is Not a Luxury Prize
Poetic works that bring nuance, emotion, and radical imagination to public health discourse.
Art Prize
Visual art that communicates themes of public trust, healing, and collective care.

Submission Guidelines for the LIGHT MAGAZINE Contests

Submit original and unpublished work.
Submissions must be in English
Submit through Submittable (link TBD)
Do not include any identifying information in uploaded files.
AI use is limited to 10% and must be disclosed (see LIGHT’s AI Guidelines)
Do not make submissions with excessive grammar issues or improper formatting. Such will be disqualified.

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Important Dates

Open Call Launch: February 1, 2025
Deadline: May 1, 2025 (11:59 PM CST)
Judging Period: May 2025
Finalist Notifications: June 2025
Magazine Release: January 2026

Judging Criteria

3–5 independent judges will evaluate submissions, using a collaborative process. As they review submissions, they will be on the look out for:

Innovation
Clarity of Expression
Originality and Creativity
Public Appeal
Relevance to Public Health

Who Can Submit?

Anyone! There are no age or location restrictions, though submissions must be in English. International contributors are welcome.

About LIGHT
Founded in 2021, Leaders Igniting Generational Healing and Transformation (LIGHT) is a movement that leverages art and creativity to bridge the gap between the public and public health professionals.

Questions? Contact: info@light4ph.org