Sick! True Short Stories About Illness, Recovery, and More

Share your poignant, funny, heartening, even troubling medical story for a chance to read it live in New York City. A collaboration between BLR and Writers Read.

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Everyone has that one medical story—the one you find yourself telling again and again: The diagnosis that blindsided you. The emergency room adventure. The symptoms that baffled five doctors. The insurance battle that lasted longer than your illness. The childhood story about chicken pox or faking a temperature to get out of school.

BLR is excited to collaborate with Writers Read on an upcoming storytelling event in which writers get to read their tales live on stage. Whether your medical story made you laugh, cry, rage, or find unexpected hope (or grace), we want to hear it — the messy, human experience that’s uniquely yours. Share your medical story in 650 words for a chance to be part of this special event.

DETAILS:
Submission Deadline: Sunday, November 9, 2025
Live Event: Sunday, February 1, 2026, 1:00 p.m., at City Winery NYC
Full guidelines are available on the Writers Read website. Writers Read creates and promotes performance opportunities for writers through curated live and digital programs.