2025 Stephen Leacock Student Humourous Short Story Competition

Stephen Leacock (1869-1944) was a well-known Canadian writer and humourist as well as academic whose impact on Canadian culture and society has been recognized with countless awards, including being recognized as a National Historic Person of Canada. For me, his book Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town makes him as quintessential a writer of CanLit as Lucy Maud Montgomery, Robertson Davies, Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje. 

 

In 1947, the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour was established, and the student writing award in 1977. 

The 2025 competition is now open, closing on April 15, 2025, and I encourage parents and teachers to invite Ontario teens (ages 14-19) to submit their humourous short stories or personal essays to this competition. The prizes are very generous and this contest gives young writers an opportunity to get their work out there and maybe meet a Canadian author of note. (See prizes below.)

 

Details follow. Full details can be found at https://leacock.ca/studentaward.php and inquiries can be made to Christy den Haan-Veltman, Registrar - Student Awards, at studentawards@leacock.ca.

 

🖊💻🖊💻🖊💻🖊💻🖊💻 🖊

 

WHO MAY ENTER?

The contest is open to Ontario students (public, separate, private, home school, university or college) who are of ages 14 to 19.

 

 

WHAT TO SUBMIT?

The contest is looking for:

• an original humourous short story or humourous personal essay;
• maximum word count of 1500 words;
• a titled work; and
• formatted to include page numbers and the title on every page.

Depending on how you submit, whether online or by mail, the formatting will be different, so page attention to the requirements as posted on https://leacock.ca/studentaward.php.

 

HOW TO ENTER?

There is a $5 entry fee.

 

Submit your writing by the deadline of Tuesday, April 15, 2025 through the following link  https://leacock.ca/essayform.php or via mail (so make sure it's postmarked before the April 15th deadline).

 

(All this information are posted on the Leacock Award website at https://leacock.ca/studentaward.php)

HOW WILL SUBMISSIONS BE JUDGED?

Entries will be judged blind. (Entries are opened on arrival in Orillia by a disinterested party who removes the cover page and assigns a number to the entry. The number is placed in a register, along with the student’s name and school, and the numbered entry is then passed to the committee of judges who are all published authors, many of whom have been nominated or have won the Leacock Award. The register is not returned to the committee until the judging is complete.)

WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?

First Prize: $1500

Second Prize: $750

Third Prize: $750 

Winners will be announced on Thursday, May 15, 2025.

 

Winners will read their works at the "Meet the Authors Night" in Orillia on Friday, June 20, 2025 and receive their awards. (Note: All three student winners will receive two tickets, one for themselves, plus one for their guest, though additional tickets may be purchased.) 

The first place winner will also be invited (two tickets) for the Gala Dinner on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at which the winner of the Leacock Medal for Humour will be announced.

 

🖊💻🖊💻🖊💻🖊💻🖊💻 🖊

 

Time to get your funny on and start writing.

 

Good luck to all young writers!

 

2025 Sheree Fitch Prize for Teen Writers: Now open for submissions

Let's support young Canadian writers because they will be the published authors of our future. To that end, the Sheree Fitch Prize, a teen writing contest organized by the Writers' Federation of New Brunswick, encourages young people ages 13 to 18 who live in New Brunswick to submit a short story or poem  for this contest.

 

I may not live in New Brunswick but how did I not know about this writing contest for young people? A competition that encourages teens to write and submit their writing for judging by published authors is definitely a win-win. Here are the details, which are available via the Writers' Federation of New Brunswick website.

 

Who may enter?

• Only teens from 13-18 years of age who are residents of New Brunswick may enter

 

What to submit?

• A short story or poem written by the teen

• A short story may be up to 4000 words

• A poem may be up to 100 lines

• Only two submissions per person 

How to enter?

• Entry is free

• Email entries to info@wfnb.ca with the subject line "Sheree Fitch Prize" 

• The deadline for submission is Monday, March 31, 2025

Who will be the judge this year?

• Writer Jacqueline Halsey, author of Joe and the Wreck of the Tribune, Piper, and Peggy's Letters

 

What are the prizes?
• First Prize is $100

• Second Prize is $50

• Third Prize is a 1-year membership to the Writers' Federation of New Brunswick

Time to get writing! 

 

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For those who don't know of the incredible collection of works by writer Sheree Fitch, from picture books to poetry collections and YA novels, check out some of her most notable titles:

 

Toes in My Nose and Other Poems

EveryBody's Different on EveryBody Street 

There's a Mouse in My House

Summer Feet

Sing in the Spring!

If You Could Wear My Sneakers

Polly MacCauley's Finest, Divinest, Woolliest Gift of All

Mabel Murple

There Were Monkey's in My Kitchen

If I Had a Million Onions

The Gravesavers
One More Step

Kids Write 4 Kids Creative Writing Contest: Deadline March 31, 2024

Ripple Foundation, a Canadian educational charity run solely by volunteers, works diligently to support creative literacy for young people. To that end, they have established an annual writing contest called Kids Write 4 Kids, and that contest is on now. If you're a Canadian young person in Grades 4 through 8, then you have until March 31, 2024 to submit your story, whether fact or fiction, or poetry. Details are listed below.

Why You Should Enter?

•     Winners get published (see previous winners here).
•     Proceeds from book sales are donated to the winner’s charity of choice.
•     Winners become judges for next year’s contest.

Entry Details

•     Open to Canadian residents only.
•     Students must be in Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8.
•     Stories must be original and written entirely by the author.
•     Only one entry per author will be accepted. (Subsequent entries will be disqualified.)
•     Only single author stories qualify. (No co-authored stories.)
•     Stories are accepted in English only.
•     Stories can be fact or fiction, prose or poetry.
•     There is no entry fee and no purchase is necessary.
•     All entries must review the story checklist.
•     Entries must be submitted by the author’s teacher, parent, or guardian at this online form. 

Contest rules and regulations are posted here

 

 

Submissions

• Maximum word count: 5,000 words (includes “a,” “an,” and “the,” but not the words on non-story pages such as the title page).
• Invented spelling is accepted.
• The text must be typed and submitted as DOC file format.
• Do not submit any images. (If your story does have images and your story is selected,  Ripple Foundation will contact you to obtain original images.)

 

 Deadline for submissions

• March 31, 2024
  

 

Although the contest was announced last fall, I was slow to get this posted. But, young writers still have weeks to get a submission in. So, time to get writing!

 

Good luck!

 

💻✐💻✎💻✐💻

Dropped! (Orca Anchor)

Written by Alice Kuipers

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-4598-3774-4

96 pp.

Ages 12+

RL 1.9

February 2024

 

When Dex is dumped by his girlfriend Lola and then deserted by his friends and his social media after an embarrassingly pathetic display to get her back, he is desperate to regain his popularity. So, he signs up for a reality show called Dropped! on which he and other contestants are dropped on Adventure Island and have five days to attract the greatest number of followers through their feeds if they are to win $250,000 and a trip to Dubai. As he says goodbye to his mother and boards a chopper, he becomes Determined Dex.

 

After being dropped on the island and being told "Don't risk too much," Dex checks the game's feed to meet the other contestants and view photos and live streams of their progress. There's gorgeous Amina whose efforts and story are racking up more followers than anyone else. There's buff identical twins Salvo and Kai, geeky Deepak, and timid Em. Through an app, they are given tasks to complete, like finding a treasure chest of  supplies or sharing their personal stories with their audience. Soon Dex realizes that by associating himself with Amina or engaging in risky or wild activities, he can pull in those much-needed followers. But will he go too far?

Told in chapters according to the date and time, Dex narrates what he does, what he sees, and what he thinks, sometimes in his head and sometimes live in his feed. With each new endeavour or challenge he wonders how he will be seen. Will it be Dangerous Dex or Daring Dex, or will it be Desperate Dex? At one point, he hopes they see him as Decent Dex. But, when he worries that the audience may see him as Deadly Dex, he has a revelation that takes his game from competition to cooperation. Dex may or may not win Dropped! but he still will get more than what he came for.

 

Orca Anchor is just one of the many series from Orca Book Publisher, with this one aimed at young adults reading below Grade 2.0 level. But don't let that detract you from the great story that Alice Kuipers tells. Dropped! may be a fast read but it's a great read for teens and adults, filled with action and social commentary, and embedded in contemporary situations with which many young people will be familiar. Saskatchewan's Alice Kuipers is an accomplished storyteller of YA (e.g., 40 Things I Want to Tell You and The Death of Us), early chapter books (e.g., Polly Diamond and the Magic Book) and even non-fiction (e.g., Always Smile: Carley Allison's Secrets for Laughing, Loving and Living) so it's not surprising that she can write an extraordinary hi-lo story for teens. By merging social media, how many young people derive validation, support, and identity, with reality shows that put teens in unfamiliar circumstances in which their true selves are exposed, Alice Kuipers has let Dex find himself. He struggles with his identity and what he wants to do or who he wants to be, labelling himself constantly and temporarily, as he reflects on his actions and thoughts. But Alice Kuipers has always been very good at seeing teens from their own perspectives, recognizing their challenges and confusion without judging them. Some might see Dex's obsession with his cell phone and with social media as ill-advised, but Alice Kuipers lets us see Dex as flawed by nature of his being human, looking for approval and solidarity as we all do but from virtual communities until he finds it within a real one. He may have been dropped from one community, but he builds a new one or two, both real and virtual, and by recognizing the value of those worlds, and by letting his good sense and self-awareness finally guide him, he'll find himself dropped into much finer ones.

The First Page Student Writing Challenge for 2024

It's back! CBC Books's wonderful student writing contest is back and with a new author to judge your entires. For teachers and parents, it's a fabulous opportunity to get Canadian students in Grades 7 through 12 writing. For young adults, it's a compelling way to get your writing out there and to win a prize of monthly boxes of books (for a year)! Details can be found at CBC Books website at https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-first-page-student-writing-challenge-is-open-for-submissions-1.4269274.

 

What is the Challenge?

     Write the first page of a novel set in 2174 in which the main character is facing an issue that is important today but set in the future so that we can see how it's played out 150 years from now.

     Your entry, in any genre, should be between 300 and 400 words, and include a title (though it is not included in your word count).

Who can enter? 

     The contest is open to all Canadian residents who are full-time students in Gr.ades 7 to 12. Enter through the submission link at CBC Books's Literary Prizes website at https://cbcliteraryprizes.submittable.com/submit

     Before submitting, check out the full rules and regulations at CBC Books to ensure your submission meets all requirements.

 

What is the deadline for entering?

      The contest runs from February 1-29, 2024, closing at 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 29, 2024.

 

How will entries be judged?

     Entries will be judged in two categories:

         Grades 7-9

         Grades 10-12 

Judging will be by author Basil Sylvester who co-authored The Fabulous Zed Watson! and Night of the Living Zed with their father Kevin Sylvester.

 

 

What are the prizes?

     The winner of each category will receive a one-year subscription to OwlCrate, which delivers monthly boxes of books and literary-related goodies. 

     The school library of each winner will also receive a donation of 50 books.

 

Want a little help?

     Head to Curio.ca (most schools have access) for helpful writing videos from authors like Erin Bow, Cory Doctorow, and Cherie Dimaline.

Good luck 

to all teen readers and now writers!

🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊

Kids Write 4 Kids Creative Challenge

We know that kids who read gain worthy skills in language, knowledge, critical thinking and far more. And writing is just as worthwhile, allowing them to express their individuality while giving them opportunities to develop their imaginations and creativity. I encourage young people, and their teachers and parents, to consider entering this free annual writing challenge from the Ripple Foundation, a Canadian educational charity that is run 100% by volunteers. Its mission is to advocate for creative literacy in young people through a variety of programs including the Kids Write 4 Kids Creative Writing Challenge. Check out the details below and get your kids writing!

 

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Challenge: Single authors (no partners or groups) are invited to submit an original story, written in English, with a maximum of 5000 words. It can be fact or fiction, prose or poetry. (A story checklist here will help direct your writing as will these tips.) There is no entry fee!

 

Eligible participants:  Canadian residents enrolled as full-time students (public, private, institutional or home schools) in Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 at the time of their entry are eligible.
    (There are some other restrictions related to employees, agents, and representatives of Ripple, yada, yada, yada, which you can check out here.)
    

What to submit:  A story of maximum 5,000 words (includes the words “a,” “an,” and “the"), typed in 12 pt Times black font and in a .doc or .docx format.

 

How to submit:  Entries must be made by either the parent/guardian of the minor author of the submission or by the author’s teacher with the author’s parent/guardian’s permission at the following link: https://www.ripplefoundation.ca/kids-write-4-kids/submission-form-2022/

Deadline for submissions: 11:59:59 pm ET on March 31, 2023

 

Judging Criteria: Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

•     Creativity and originality of plot and/or themes (40%)
  
•     Story structure, characters, and setting (40%)
  
•     Style and tone i.e., the quality of writing (20%)
  

Prize: The winner with the highest score (see judging details here) will be published in a professional e-book and paperback book by the Ripple Foundation and sold on Amazon, Apple, Google Play and Overdrive with proceeds donated to the author's Canadian charity of choice.

Prize announcement:   June 1st, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario.

 

An I Read Canadian Contest

 

Let's celebrate I Read Canadian Day today with

 

An I READ CANADIAN Contest

 

Think you know Canadian authors and illustrators of CanKidLit? Or want to learn more? Try my quiz and submit your answers via Google Forms here for your chance to win a box of books for young readers.

How to Play:

There are 15 questions below related to Canadian authors and illustrators. Each answer will require one or two complete names (first name and last name, in English). In total, 18 names will be needed to answer the questions. (Watch your spelling! You could lose 1/2 for incorrect spelling.)

Submission: Submit answers via Google Forms here. Only one submission per person.

Contestants: This contest is open to Canadian residents only. (Address to which the books will be sent must be a Canadian address.) There is no age restriction on submissions.

Deadline: Answers must be submitted by 12 PM EST on Saturday, November 5, 2022.

Winner: A winner will be selected from submissions with the most correct answers. If multiple submissions have the most correct, a random number draw will be made, with numbers based on submission date and time. The winner will be announced on Monday, November 7, 2022 on this blog.

Prize: A box of books for young people written by Canadian authors. (I will consult with the winner about the age group for whom the books were won.)

 Good luck, Canadian readers!

📕📕📕📕📕📕📕

QUESTIONS:

1. Which Canadian author and Order of Canada recipient has written everything from dystopia, tigers, spies, space, 9/11 to Terry Fox?

2. These sisters are both author-illustrators. Though they have illustrated their own books as well as those written by others, they have never co-authored a picture book together. Who are they?

3. This author-illustrator is probably the foremost illustrator of plasticine art, winning countless awards for her artwork including the Governor General's award for illustration, the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz children's book award, the Ezra Jack Keats Award and the Vicky Metcalf award. Did I mention she was also appointed to the Order of Canada? Name this author and illustrator.

4. This Canadian author can find the humour in even the most emotional dramas. No wonder a prime-time TV law series which she created is such a hit. Who is this writer?

5. He's done CBC sports, hosted CBC Sunday Morning, illustrates for others, and writes his own picture books and middle grade novels. And he once painted a mural on Yonge Street for his book launch. Who is this author and illustrator?

6. Though she's written many award-winning books, this Canadian writer was bestowed with the Order of Princess Olha by the Ukrainian President for her depictions of Ukrainian history through her books. Who is she?

7. Name two sisters who are Canadian author-illustrators who've written several picture books together.

8. This author is the founder of Canada's first festival for diverse authors and storytellers and a writer of picture books and novels for young people as well as adults. Name this author.

9. This author has written two picture books, one which highlights the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and the other relates to her grandfather's residential school experience. Who is this author?

10. Though her many novels have social justice themes from across the world including Afghanistan, Malawi, Iran, the West Bank and Bolivia, as well as Canada, her latest ventures are one word-titled short story collections that allow readers to travel to a multitude of countries in one book. Who is this author? 

11. This Quebec author-illustrator is probably best known for her frightened sciurine character but my personal favourite is her red marker-wielding feline with cheek. Who is this creator?

12. This Swampy Cree author has written more than 20 picture books, middle grade, and YA books and won two Governor General Literary Awards. Who is this author?

13. This Toronto author blends the surreal with the real so flawlessly that his steampunk airships seem to be historic stories, an attack by aliens with plants and insects seems imminent and the voices of his chiropteran characters totally believable. Name this author.

14. This Irish Canadian author has been awarded the Governor General Literary Award twice, both for novels of historical fiction set in the mid-1800s but one originating in Ireland and the other in Virginia, USA. Who is this author?

15. Most young children will recognize this picture book author's name but they're also probably recognizing the artist who has illustrated more than 25 of his books. Name both the author and the illustrator.

Good Luck and Bonne Chance 

to all reader-participants!

DC Canada: One Story A Day Writing Contest

For teachers and parents who would like to get kids writing purposefully, here is a contest for children in Grades 1 through 6.

 

The Contest: 

• Submit a short story. (One submission per person.)

• Grades 1-2: 50 to 100 words
• Grades 3-4: 150 to 250 words
• Grades 5-6: 250 to 350 words

Eligible Participants: 

• Students who are in Grades 1 through 6 and reside in Canada

Submission deadline: 

• 12 PM (EST) March 31, 2022

 

Judging:

• A panel of judges will evaluate each story based:
    • Creativity (uniqueness of ideas, topics, objective of story)

    • Writing style (narration, word choice, description, figurative language, text organization/logic), and

    • Grammar (spelling, punctuation, sentence fluency).

Prizes:

• The top 3 winners in each category will receive a cash prize and be published in an illustrated storybook. 

• The school with the most participants will also win a prize pack of DC books!

• Approximately 30 stories will be published in the illustrated book.

Details:

Details about the contest including rules and regulations and how to submit are posted at https://www.dc-canada.ca/story-writing-contest-2022/

CBC Books: The First Page 2022 Student Writing Challenge

Get your students in Grades 7 to 12 writing with
CBC Books'

2022

THE FIRST PAGE
STUDENT WRITING CHALLENGE

The Challenge:  
• Write the first page of a speculative fiction novel set 150 years after 2022 exploring how a modern day current affairs event or trend has played out.
• Submission should be between 300 and 400 words. (It must not exceed 400 words.) Be sure to give your "book" a title.

Eligible Participants:
• All Canadian residents who are full time students enrolled in Gr. 7 to 12 may enter.

Timeline:
• Submit here between 9 AM (ET) February 1, 2022 and 9 PM (ET) February 28, 2022

Selection:

• A team of Canadian middle grade and YA writers will help curate the two shortlists, based on:  creativity, critical thinking, and quality of writing.

• The final judge, author Sarah Raughley, will determine the winners of the two categories.

Prizes:
• One year subscription to OwlCrate, a monthly delivery of a box of books (winners will choose from MG or YA packages).
• The school library of each winner will also receive a donation of 50 books.

Full details of this writing challenge are provided at CBC Books with rules and regulations available here.

CanLit for LittleCanadians celebrates 1M views Contest: Winner announced

On Tuesday, January 11, 2021, 

I launched the 

READY TO CELEBRATE 1M VIEWS CONTEST.

And, though we were thousands off, we reached one million views within about 5 hours.

(I had to change the format as it didn't fit in the sidebar. 😧)

As the rules stated the contest would close at 11:59 PM EST the night that the counter turned over one million views (about 3:08 PM EST), the contest closed that night. Thanks to all who submitted comments on the blog and on Twitter about reviews readers had enjoyed on CanLit for LittleCanadians.

Using a random number generator, a winner was selected and it is.....Elizabeth A. who enjoyed the review of Cherie Dimaline's "The Marrow Thieves." 

CONGRATULATIONS!

👏👏👏

Though I can tell you're in a high school library, I have no other information about you, Elizabeth A. So, if you could submit a comment with your details (email, address), I won't post the comment, just grab the information and delete your comment. And anyone who might know a Canadian high school librarian whose first name is Elizabeth and last name starts with an "A," please leave me a comment below with any info (name, email, school) you can provide. (I won't post the comment but I will get the relevant information from it.)

Thank you again to everyone who participated and helped 

get the blog over that milestone of ONE MILLION VIEWS.

 

 

(And 🤞 that we hear from Elizabeth A. within the week. 

Otherwise, I may have to select another winner. 

Thankfully I still have all the participants' names logged for just that possibility. 😥)

Ready to celebrate 1M views!: Contest

 

After just over ten years, CanLit for LittleCanadians is ready to celebrate one million views of posts about books for young people by Canadian authors and illustrators. Want to help me celebrate? Then have I got a contest for you!

 

 

What do you have to do?

Leave a comment below (with an identifier so I can contact you somehow) and/or Tweet (tag @HelenKubiw and #1Mviews) about a book that you decided to purchase or read (I'm thrilled to support libraries) after checking out a review here. You've got ten years of reviews from which to choose. Tell me the title of the book and author/illustrator and what grabbed your attention. 

 

Participants will be time-logged in order of submission and a random number generator will select one from all submissions. I will announce the winner here and on Twitter. 

If you submit more than once, only your earliest submission will be logged.

Who can participate?

You must be a resident of Canada in order to participate. (Sorry expats who live outside our country.) Authors and illustrators are welcome to participate.

When?

You have from now until the end of the day (11:59 PM EST) when the blog's view counter hits one million views. (Hint: it will be happening within the next few days.) So if it hits 1,000,000 at lunch on Friday, January 14, you have until almost midnight that night to leave a comment. (I think it will happen sooner.)

Prize?

A box of Canadian books for young people. I will pick the books but it will be a mixed box of at least 10 books.

 

 

I have been privileged to promote so many wonderful books by so many fabulous authors and illustrators. I've covered picture books, early readers, middle grade novels, graphic novels, non-fiction, young adult books and more. My readers are young people, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, teachers, school librarians, public librarians, school boards, university faculties of education, organizations like the Ontario Library Association and the Canadian Children's Book Centre, publishers, and more. Thank you to all who have linked to my blog and helped promote it as I promote our Canadian creators.

Though I have wondered whether the 10-year mark (October 2021) or the 1 million view mark would be a milestone for me to reconsider the blog, I don't think I'm quite ready to give it up yet. This is especially true as I think CanLit for LittleCanadians offers an opportunity to celebrate books from everyone from debut authors and small publishers to world-renowned writers and large publishing houses. As long as these creators are Canadian, born or residing, I will champion them, if I like the books. (You might notice that I don't review anything I don't like.)

So here's to CanLit for LittleCanadians 

and it's upcoming ONE MILLION VIEWS. 

 

Thanks you for celebrating with me.

GoodMinds giveaway of We Dream Medicine Dreams

Graphic provided by GoodMinds

June is National Indigenous History Month so it's a fabulous time to immerse yourself in Indigenous literature.  To that end, GoodMinds, the First Nations family owned and operated business on the Six Nations of the Grand River, is holding a giveaway with CanLit for LittleCanadians to get a copy of We Dream Medicine Dreams into the hands of two lucky readers.

We Dream Medicine Dreams

Written and illustrated by Lisa Boivin

HighWater Press

978-1-553799870

48 pp.

Ages 5-10

April 2021

Reviewed here

 

Written and illustrated by Lisa Boivin, a member of the Deninu K’ue First Nation, We Dream Medicine Dreams is a powerful story about a young girl recalling the teachings of her grandfather about animal dreams, lessons she knows she must heed as her grandfather lays dying in a hospital. 

 

 

This book, along with others written by Indigenous creators, has been featured as part of GoodMinds' video podcast series, 13 Moons 13 Reads, which runs from February 2021 to January 2022. If you haven't checked it out, now's the time to do so.

 

 

For The Giveaway:

What to do:  For your chance to win a copy of this lovely book (there are two copies available to Canadian residents), tell us the title of an Indigenous book you've read and found meaningful.  You can tell us:

•  1) in the comments below (n.b. if you're not logged into your account, give me a first name and first letter of last name to help me find you e.g., Lisa B.) or 
•  2) on Twitter tagging @HelenKubiw with #GoodMindsGiveaway

Time: From now until June 25, 2021 at 5 PM EST.

Selection: A random draw of participants will be made and the winners contacted via reply below (if you posted here) or by DM on Twitter to get the mailing address.

 • • • • • • • • • • • • •

This is a wonderful opportunity to extend your classroom or school library or home library to include more Indigenous literature but also to share in a meaningful and beautiful picture book.  

Good luck to all!

"How Do You Find Home?" Writing Contest

Orca Book Publishers

 

with author Jen Sookfong Lee

 

author of Finding Home: 

The Journey of Immigrants and Refugees

Written by Jen Sookfong Lee

Illustrated by Drew Shannon

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-459818996

120 pp.

Ages 9-12

March 2021
 

are holding a writing contest for young  writers

to address the question

 

How Do You Find Home?

Here's what young writers need to know:

What to write? 

Write about 500-700 words about what "home" means to you, where your family is from or where your home is today. It must be an original piece of work and "written solely by the entrant."

Who can submit?

Young people of ages 8-13 at the time of entry.

 

How to submit?

At the contest page of publisher Orca Book Publishers, complete the form and either cut-and-paste your writing here or attach as a MS Word file.

Prizes

Author Jen Sookfong Lee will select three winning entries. Each winner will receive an Orca Prize Pack (free books!) and a $200 gift certificate to the bookstore of their choice.

Dates

Deadline is May 16, 2021. Winners will be announced May 31, 2021.

Details

Everything you need to know about contest and the submission form can be found at https://www.orcabook.com/Finding-Home-Writing-Contest.aspx

Good luck to all young writers!

✍ ✍ ✍ ✍ ✍ ✍ ✍

Second Story Press Indigenous Writing Contest

Publisher Second Story Press is holding its third annual contest for unpublished works for young people by Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) writers who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada.

 

Previous winners include:

 

Jodie Callaghan for The Train

 and

Michael Hutchinson for The Mighty Muskrats Mystery series

 

Here are most of the details you'll need to submit a manuscript:

 

What?  

• A previously unpublished, original manuscript of fiction or non-fiction which cannot be under consideration for publication by another publisher.        

• Submission must be written for young readers ages 5 to 18.          

• The jury will be particularly looking for stories with an urban setting. (Not looking for stories that rhyme or stories with anthropomorphized animals.)

• Send the complete manuscript but, if submitting a picture book manuscript, illustrations need not be provided.

• Submissions must be in English, or provide an English translation.

 

 

Who?

• Writers must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents, 18 years of age or older and living in Canada. (Unfortunately, due to contest regulations, residents of Quebec are excluded.)

 

 

When?

• Submitted digitally (email or Google form) or postmarked by May 14, 2021.

(Deadline was previously April 16 before it was extended.)

• Winner will be announced on  June 24, 2021.

How to submit?

• Copy of manuscript by post with entry form (link here) to 

Second Story Press
20 Maud Street, Suite 401
Toronto, ON, M5V 2M5
Attn: Indigenous Writing Contest

or

• By email to contest@secondstorypress.ca with entry form (link here)

or

• By Google form (link here)

Prize?

• A publishing contract from Second Story Press

 

 

Selection?

By jury of Jodie Callaghan, Nancy Cooper and Margie Wolfe

Details about this year's contest are posted at www.secondstorypress.ca/indigenous-contest

 

Good luck!

The 2020 First Page Student Writing Challenge

Art by Ben Shannon

Get your students in Grades 7 to 12 writing with

CBC Books'

2020

THE FIRST PAGE
STUDENT WRITING CHALLENGE

in which two winning entries

 (one for Gr. 7-9 and one for Gr. 10-12)

will be selected by

 

 award-winning author

David A. Robertson

 

The Challenge:  
• Write the first page of a speculative fiction novel set 150 years into the future imagining how current world issues and trends would evolve in the next century
• Write 300-400 words.  Be sure to give your "book" a title.

Eligible Participants:
• All Canadian residents who are full time students enrolled in Gr. 7 to 12 may enter.

Timeline:

• Submit here between November 4, 2020 and November 26, 2020

Selection:

• Author David A. Robertson will judge the entries based on the following criteria:

•     creativity;
•     critical thinking; and
•     quality of writing
  

• Shortlists of 10 entries per grade category will be selected from which the winner will be chosen.

Prizes:

• One year subscription to OwlCrate, a monthly delivery of a box of books (winner may select middle grade or young adult)

• The school library of each winner will also receive 50 YA books chosen by CBC.

Full details of this writing challenge are provided at CBC Books with rules and regulations available here.

Teachers' guides and writing tips are available from the CBC Books website for the contest.