L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers & Illustrators of the Future Contests Welcome Slovakia as 52nd Winning Country

For more than 40 years, the L. Ron Hubbard Writers & Illustrators of the Future Contests have helped aspiring writers and artists achieve their dreams. With entries from over 175 of the 195 countries worldwide, representing more than 90% of nations, the Contests now celebrate Slovakia’s addition. A world map, attached, highlights the 51 previous winning countries in blue and Slovakia in red.

Located in Central Europe, Slovakia is known for its picturesque mountains and castles. Now, it joins 51 countries with a winner from one of the world’s most prestigious science fiction and fantasy competitions. “There are thousands of entries each quarter in these Contests,” said John Goodwin, president of Author Services, the literary agency overseeing the competitions. When launching the Contest in 1983, L. Ron Hubbard noted that it “came with an avalanche of new material from all over the country.” Goodwin added, “Forty-two years later, the avalanche of entries has only grown and spans the globe!”

Bohuslav Argalas was named a second-quarter winner in the Illustrators of the Future Contest. His animated-style artwork will be featured in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 42 in 2026. His three submissions met the Contest’s requirements: originality, no AI generation, and a science fiction or fantasy theme.

Argalas will travel to Hollywood, California, for a weeklong illustrating workshop, culminating in an Oscar-style gala awards ceremony. There, he will receive his trophy before hundreds of science fiction and fantasy writers, artists, industry professionals, and media, with the event streamed live to over 350,000 viewers worldwide.

52 Winning Countries