Los Angeles, California (NAPSI) - Twenty-five writers and artists from around the globe offer their vision for the future in a contest with a fascinating past.

The Writers of the Future Writing Contest was initiated by best-selling author L. Ron Hubbard in 1983 to help aspiring writers to get that much-needed break. It seems to have worked. The 368 past winners of the Writing Contest have published 838 novels and nearly 4,000 short stories. They have produced 27 New York Times best sellers and their works have sold over 50 million copies.

Due to the success of the Writing Contest, the companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was created in 1983. The 298 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 4,500 illustrations and 356 comic books, graced 594 books and albums with their art, and visually contributed to 36 TV shows and 46 major movies.

Recently, the latest winners were honored at the 31st Annual L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards. The winners, from among several thousand hopefuls, saw their work published in the best-selling science fiction anthology series.

The two grand-prize honors were captured by Sharon Roest (pen name Sharon Joss) of Aloha, Ore., who took the Golden Pen Award and a $5,000 cash prize, and Michelle Lochamy of Browns Mills, N.J., who was awarded the Golden Brush Award and a $5,000 cash prize. The winners also attended a weeklong workshop taught by the contest judges, experienced professionals providing sound advice based on hard-won experience.

The book, “L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Volume 31,” is now available online at Amazon.com, KOBO.com and BN.com and in print where books are sold.

For more information and to see the awards ceremony online, go to www.writersofthefuture.com.