Youth Writing Contest

High School Winners

1st Prize winner: ‘Deep Freeze’ by Ryan Monaghan, Hugh Boyd Secondary School, Richmond 

Shannon Ozirny: “This is no ordinary horror story. It combines original, unforgettable imagery with many of the genre’s classic tropes in an effortless, addictive mix; the gothic haunted house, the smothering isolation of winter, the terrifying prospect of a maternal villain and an ending that is explosive, scary and sad. I read this in the bright light of a hot summer’s day and still got the chills.”

2nd Prize winner: ‘Snapshots’ by Tina Wang, St Michaels University School, Victoria 

Shannon Ozirny: “I finished this personal essay feeling like I had sat with the author around a shoebox of old photographs. The writing is full of quiet grace and reflection that takes us on so many different types of journeys—physical, emotional, cultural and through time.”

Shannon Ozirny, judge of the 2024 High School Writing Contest, is the Head of Youth Services at the West Vancouver Memorial Library.

Elementary School Winners

1st Prize winner: ‘Runaway’ by Brooklyn Sequeira, Howard Debeck Elementary School, Richmond

Jamie Fong: “Celina wonders what she should wish for when she blows out her 11th birthday candles. When her dog Waffle runs away, she decides to use her wish to find him with unexpected results. I like how this story starts off with an everyday scenario and adds a sprinkle of fantasy. I enjoyed the shift in genre and how Celina is full of questions and feelings about her extraordinary new situation, but quickly adapts. The author has effectively written a fun, magical tale with twists, turns, a hint of danger, and a satisfying conclusion, all in a few short pages. Bravo!”

2nd Prize winner: ‘The Creation’ by Leo Wong, Fraser Valley School, Surrey

Jamie Fong: “I enjoyed this science fiction variation on the Frankenstein story where a human-made creation meets their scientist creator and grapples with its existence. I thought the author effectively puts the reader in the shoes of the protagonist robot, opening their eyes into a strange and unfamiliar new environment. “Rob” quickly learns about how the world works and develops skills at an exponential rate, but struggles with the concept of emotional understanding. I felt like this was where the story went in an unexpected and intriguing direction that made me invested in Rob’s journey. This story could be a prologue or first chapter of a longer story, but it still works as a complete standalone story. Well done!”

Jamie Fong is the 2024 Elementary School Contest judge, and the Children’s Librarian at Vancouver Public Library.

The high-school youth writing contest is open to students in grades 8-12 and is judged by Shannon Ozirny. Shannon Ozirny is the Head of Youth Services at the West Vancouver Memorial Library. She has taught a children’s materials course as an adjunct at the UBC iSchool, reviewed young adult books for The Globe and Mail and Quill & Quire. She has served as 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.

Of this year’s submissions, she had this to say: Choosing the winners for this year’s competition was so challenging. I’m not just saying that. I circled back and forth and around so many compelling and beautiful pieces. It’s hard to fit any good idea into just 1500 words, but the strongest stories and essays found a perfect match with the Contest’s word count. Even those that didn’t still contained so much inspiring potential and glimmers of real brilliance.

The elementary school youth writing contest is open to students in grades 5-7 and is judged by Jamie Fong. Fong is a life-long supporter and patron of public libraries, starting his library career in high school as a student page at the Edmonton Public Library. Since 2013, he’s been a Children’s Librarian at Vancouver Public Library. He is a former committee member of the Young Readers’ Choice Awards Society of BC. Fong also recently sat on the Canadian selection committee for the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) third edition of The World Through Picture Books, a publication of favourite picture books recommended by librarians from around the world.

He had this to say about the submissions for the Elementary contest: As I wrap-up my third year of judging, I applaud all the creativity and efforts involved in over 200 entries! Each year I look forward to seeing what sort of common themes or trends are reflected across the entirety of entries. This year, there were quite a few informative essays on a wide range of topics from new technologies to sports and health. I also noticed an unexpected number of entries that told stories dramatizing historical events or people. This might be the largest number of illustrated submissions I’ve seen with some truly impressive artwork. The submissions that rose to the top of the pile managed to grab my attention in a memorable way. There was a maturity in the themes and level of writing, which made me double-check which grade categories I was judging. All in all, the best ones were engaging, effective, clear, and able to tell a complete story within the constraints of the word count, though would often leave the reader wanting more. It was very tough, as usual, to narrow down to just two winners. Congratulations to our winning entries this year and to all participants!

1. The elementary school youth writing contest is open to all writers in grades 5-7 who are attending a school or being taught in a home-school environment in British Columbia.

2. The high school youth writing contest is open to all writers in grades 8-12 who are attending a school or being taught in a home-school environment in British Columbia.

3. Entries will be accepted for previously unpublished short stories and personal essays: 1,000 word limit (for elementary school student submissions) and 1,500 (for high-school student submissions).

4. Entries are judged blind. Please do not put your name on your story, in the file you have uploaded or in the file name.

5. Entries must be submitted in MS Word (DOC or DOCX)  or PDF formats. Please use standard margins, 12-point font and double spacing.

6. Prizes:

a. Elementary – First prize winner receives $100 and publication in our Books & Ideas Newsletter, plus social media shout-out; Second prize winner receives $50 and publication in our Books & Ideas Newsletter; both winners receive a certificate from Vancouver Writers Fest.

b. High school – First prize winner receives $200 and publication in our Books & Ideas Newsletter, plus social media shout-out; Second prize winner receives $100 and publication in our Books & Ideas Newsletter; both winners receive a certificate from Vancouver Writers Fest.

The deadline for submissions was May 31, 2024.