Got a way with words? A local writers contest could be your chance to take home a grand prize.
The annual North Shore Writers' Association Contest is now open for submissions until March 15, with cash prizes for fiction, non-fiction, poetry and writing for children.
Now running for the 29th year, the contest is open to writers across Canada, judged anonymously by professional writers to ensure first-time writers and authors have an equal playing field.
But this year the contest is now open for youth in all genres with two categories: one 11 years and under and the other for 12- to 18-year-olds.
“The contest is really to just help people get themselves out there,” said Erin MacNair, the North Shore Writers’ Association contest committee co-ordinator.
The North Shore Writers' Association is a supportive group of published and aspiring writers in North Vancouver and West Vancouver. People pay an annual membership rate, and the group holds events that involve guest speakers, craft workshops and the annual contest.
The contest has come a long way, with the first one running for members only in 1993. MacNair said the association has published 14 anthologies over the years, the first in 2000 called Shore Lines. Some of the winning entries from that contest can still be spotted in the display windows of the North Vancouver District Public Library's Lynn Valley branch.
Now nearly three decades later, the contest has opened to the public.
Winning entries this year will be published in the association’s new digital literary magazine, Rivulets. They will also receive a cash prize between $50 and $100.
MacNair said having work published is not only an exciting accomplishment for writers to put on their resume, but also gives them that confidence boost to keep going.
“It’s important for encouragement. Writers write alone in a room quite often, and don’t know if their words are ever going to reach anyone, or if they’ll have an audience for them,” she said. “So this is one way for them to get an audience for their work and to receive some kudos and accolades for the hard work that they’ve put in.”
Youth entering the contest is low barrier, with only a $5 entry fee that includes membership to the North Shore Writers' Association.
“It’s that support and keep going that we want to help them with by having a contest,” she said, adding that they want to help and support the young writing community through the association with meetings and workshops tailored to them.
Edgemont Village located booksellers Kidsbooks and 32 Books have made donations for this year’s contest, which helped the writers association offer two prizes in the youth category, MacNair said.
The winners will be announced in April. For more information on submission criteria and entry fees, visit https://nswriters.org/annual-writing-contest/.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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