Announcing the 2018 Elora Writers Festival Writing Contest winners!

 Since the deadline for our contest closed in March, our judges have been busy reading, considering, evaluating and making their selections.

Finally, the decisions have been made and here they are, the winners of the 2018 Elora Writers Festival Writing Contest:

In the YOUTH category (age 13 and under)

(Judges: Lisa MacColl, Carey Gallagher and Kate Blair)

First Prize

Trapped in the Darkness
by Jonah Doupe (13) of Belwood

Second Prize

Mr. Linden's Library
by Hanzi Li (12) of Kitchener

Third Prize

The Broken Tooth
by Charlotte Ting (8) of Guelph

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In the TEEN category (age 15-19)

(Judges: Heather Wright, Heather Debling)

First Prize

A Summer to Remember
by Becca Swan (14) of Fergus

Second Prize

He Was Gone, But I Wasn't
By Manuela Morgan (14) of Kitchener

Third Prize

The Boy with the Black Mask
By Serena Polak (15) of Elora

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In the OPEN category (any age; only category for adults 20 and older)

(Judges: Bieke Stengos, Lisa McLean, Michael Hale, Mary Bentley Lloyd)

First Prize

Wild John
by Jeremy Luke Hill of Guelph

Second Prize

Cataloguing the Stars
by Andrew Lee of Hamilton

Third Prize

Over the Falls
by Katrine Raymond of Hamilton

 Shortlisted:

Acceleration by Anastasia McEwen
Tears of the Cowboy by Paul Hock
Joy by Jean-Pierre Forget
A Silent Visitor’s Audible Wake by Phil Andrews
Feedback by Marion Reidel
The One by Mary Steer (Mary Taslimi) 
Donor #0378Q by Cynthia Matthews
A Perfect Place in Time by Lisa Washbrook

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Congratulations to the contest winners, and a special thank-you to our hard-working judges. Also, we’d like to send a big shout-out to all the writers who shared their stories with us. Your enthusiastic response year after year proves that you agree with us whole-heartedly: Creative writing is important!

Thanks also to our two contest sponsors, The Community Resource Centre of North and Centre Wellington (Youth category), and the Elora Arts Council (Teen category), two organizations that join us in recognizing the importance of supporting and encouraging young writers.

During the intermission of the 2018 Elora Writers Festival on Sunday, May 6 (1-4 p.m.), any winners in attendance will receive their prizes – along with a big round of applause from the Festival audience and authors.

And speaking of the Festival authors, here’s our fantastic line-up, in case you missed it:

Drew Hayden Taylor – humour in fiction, drama and essay from an Indigenous perspective, including Take Me To Your Chief and the recent Tarragon Theatre production, Cottagers and Indians

Michelle Winters – 2017 Giller shortlisted author of the dark and quirky I Am A Truck

Kathy Stinson – award-winning author of books for young readers, including The Man With The Violin and the classic Red Is Best

Linden MacIntyre – 2009 Giller Prize winner and former broadcaster whose journalism background led to his latest novel, The Only Café

Kate Blair – author of YA speculative fiction (Transferral and Tangled Planet) with a whole list of award nominations

Please join us! You can order tickets online through the Theatre on the Grand box office (find the link to their ticketingwebsite, here). You can also purchase tickets at the Fergus Grand Theatre box office or at the door (Aboyne Hall, Wellington Country Museum & Archives).