Wisconsin People & Ideas routinely publish examples of the best prose and poetry writing from around the state, and their annual Wisconsin Book Festival Writing Contest is currently looking for just that. First-place authors will win up to $500 and will be invited to read their pieces at the 2011 Wisconsin Book Festival as well as to stay at the Edenfred creative arts residency in the Madison Highlands. Ten winners from both the prose and poetry categories will have their work represented in the publication. Top short stories will be chosen by Valerie Lankan, author of Dream House (Harper Collins 2009) and the upcoming Separate Kingdoms Stories (Harper Perennial 2011).  Angela Rydell, poet and teacher of creative writing at the UW-Madison department of Continuing Education, will choose winners of the poetry contest. Cash prizes for second and third place winners will also be given for both genres. The contest runs from September 15 through December 15.