And the contest winners are....!

It took weeks of careful reading and re-reading, but the judges of the EWF Short Story Contest have finally selected the winners of this year’s writing competition, and here they are:

YOUTH CATEGORY (Age 14-under)

First place:

Alice Kennedy (Elora)  Ma'am

Second place:

Laura Willis (Hamilton-Wentworth)  Succumb

Third place:

Alexandra Beilhartz (Fergus)  Tatum

Honourable Mentions:

Sammy Beynon (Fergus)  Clone

Sophia K. Van Gerwen (Puslinch)  Bob's Birthday Surprise

TEEN CATEGORY (Age 15-19)

First place:

Kyelle Byne (Kenilworth)  The Treehouse

Second place:

Carrie May Pakulat (Arthur)  Marlena Throe Traveller Extraordinaire and the Stolen Artifact

Third place:

Emma Chiera  (Guelph)  Instinct

Honourable Mentions:

Kendra Morton (Alma)  The Ceiling Crumbled

Megan Black (Guelph)  My 29th Story

ADULT CATEGORY

Finalists (in alphabetical order):

Phil Andrews (Guelph)  The Accountant King's Home       

Rita Bailey (Hamilton)  The Promise

Michelle Gibson (Hamilton)  Sea Crabs

Candace Kelm (Erin)  Beginnings

Carole Kennedy (Elora)  The Cost of Living

Sheila McMurrich Koop (Elora)   The Arcana of Living Springs

Jennifer Mook-Sang  (Burlington)  Circling

Laurie Myers (Waterloo)  The Cabana

Donna Starling (Fergus)  Finding Home

Mary Steer (Waterdown)  Arrival

Winners:

First place:

Carole Kennedy  Cost of Living

Second place:

Laurie Myers  The Cabana

Third place:

Jennifer Mook-Sang  Circling

Honourable Mentions:

Sheila McMurrich Koop  The Arcana of Living Springs

Michelle Gibson  Sea Crabs

Rita Bailey  The Promise 

Prizes will be presented at the end of the Intermission of the Elora Writers’ Festival on Sunday, May 25 to any finalists and winners who are present. For those who cannot attend, Contest Chair Jean Mills will be in touch about sending your prize to you.

Since we understand that Teen and Youth winners may choose not to attend the Festival readings, contest winners in these two categories (including Honourable Mentions) are welcome to drop in to Aboyne Hall, Wellington County Museum at about 2:15 p.m. (the approximate start of the Intermission).  Look for Contest Assistant Marilyn Kleiber or Judge Lisa Dalrymple for assistance.

The judges commented on the high quality of submissions in all categories. Congratulations to every writer who took the brave step of submitting a story to this year's competition, and special congratulations to our 2014 finalists and winners! 

EWF Short Story Contest – Deadline nearly here!

The submission deadline is fast approaching for the 2014 EWF Short Story Contest – it’s April 4, April 17 a much earlier deadline than our previous writing competitions – so we encourage local writers to follow the advice of Mary Heaton Vorse, who said:
“The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.”

The link EWF Short Story Contest 2014 will give you all the details, but in brief, here’s what you need to know:

• Three categories (Adult 20+, Teen 15-19, Youth 14-under)

• One entry fee (Adults only, $15)

• Local writers (Wellington, Waterloo, Dufferin, Grey-Bruce, Halton, Hamilton-Wentworth counties/regions) 

•  Theme: Home (whatever that means to you – a place? a person? the name of your cat…?)

• And finally - Prizes! 

Send your submissions to:

EWF Short Story Contest

c/o Elora Arts Council

 Box 3084

 Elora ON N0B 1S0 

... by April 4, 2014.

Need more information?

Feel free to contact the Contest Chair, Jean Mills, at:

 EWFwritingcontest@gmail.com