Pat Banning and Benjamin "Buddy" Bess have agreed to serve as judges this year for our traditional Holiday Fiction Contest.

Banning, a 36-year veteran of the book business, is the owner of Bookends in Kailua, an independent shop that features both new books and select gently used works. Banning is always good for a book recommendation.

Bess is the founder of Honolulu's Bess Press, publisher of popular fiction and nonfiction, comic writing (the "To Da Max" collection), multicultural educational materials and cookbooks.

We are seeking inspirational (but not syrupy) stories, to appear in the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Island Life sections. And we're cooking up some good prizes.

The categories are:

• Fiction suitable for adults, 1,500 words.

• Fiction suitable for reading aloud by or to children: 1,000 words.

Neither need have a strictly holiday or Christian theme, but the stories should be thought-provoking and in keeping with the spirit of seeking a deeper meaning in life and promoting good will among all.

The Advertiser will develop illustrations for the stories; entries should not be illustrated. Poetry is acceptable.

RULES

• Place story name, writer's name, address, daytime phone number on each page of the story (this information will be removed before the story goes to judges).

• Story must be your own work and may be based on a real-life experience.

• Entrants must be Hawai'i-based. Advertiser employees are not eligible.

• Winning entrants will sign a contract allowing publication in The Advertiser's print and online editions.

• Judges decisions are final.

• Deadline: Postmarked on or received by Nov. 30.

• Send to: (mail), Holiday Fiction, Island Life, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; (fax) 525-8055; or(e-mail) islandlife@honoluluadvertiser.com.