Oscar Wilde weaponized wit. He wrote comedies that exposed hypocrisy, stories that danced through decadence, and epigrams that still bite today. This contest asks you to craft a piece with style and sting — something clever, sharp, and dazzling, but not without depth.

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We’re looking for writing that critiques through charm — a beautiful insult, a brilliant reversal, a character whose vanity is their truth. Your story can be romantic, tragic, social, or supernatural — as long as it smirks and sparkles.

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• Let your characters talk too much. Wilde’s best lines come from people revealing more than they mean to.

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• Style is part of the satire. Use ornate description, clever phrasing, and social banter to set the tone — then twist it.

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• Use setting to exaggerate social order. A garden party, a dinner, a gallery. Settings that demand performance make the perfect backdrop for critique.

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• Make contradiction your theme. “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” Let your piece live in these kinds of paradoxes.

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• End with a reversal or revelation. The best Wildean pieces reveal the truth too late — or exactly on time.