As Spring Break comes to an end but school closures live on, families may be looking for ways to keep children entertained but also keeping them stimulated while limiting screen-time. The Vancouver Writers Fest’s annual youth writing contest is open to all BC students enrolled in grades 8-12. To enter, young writers can submit previously unpublished short stories and personal essays, up to 1500 words.
The entries will be judged blind by Shannon Ozirny, the Head of Youth Services at the West Vancouver Memorial Library. Ms Ozirny has also been a juror for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes, Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books and Odyssey audiobook awards and moderates kidlit events for the Vancouver Writers Fest and Kidsbooks.
Check out the winners of the 2019 youth writing contest for inspiration:
1st Prize: Loving Hands, by Yuning (Nancy) Ren (Fraser Heights Secondary School)
2nd Prize: The Monster from my Childhood, by ZiFu Xu (Richmond Christian Secondary)
The 2020 contest is underway and closes on May 29, 2020. Visit writersfest.bc.ca for the full contest details, and rules.