There’s just over a week left for the next generation to showcase their writing skills through the Okanagan Young Writers’ Awards (OYWA).
It’s the first year for the OYWA, which were founded to promote excellence in writing at the high school and early college level.
They’re open to anyone aged 14-19 that is currently enrolled in school, but the deadline for submissions is coming up quickly on Nov. 30.
“Our beautiful Okanagan Valley has long inspired talented creatives from around the region,” explained OYWA chair Jadon Dick.
“We really wanted to build on this legacy with a literary competition intended to showcase the next generation of Okanagan writers.”
Entries will be up for one of $200 cash prizes for the two major categories, which are fiction (a short story or one-act play) and poetry (a group of three poems).
In addition, selected entries will be featured in a Best of the Okanagan Young Writers’ Awards collection that will be published in print and online.
The Trophy Den is pitching in with medallions for the top three submissions in each category, while the Okanagan Regional Library will host a reading of certain submissions on Jan. 15.
Dick noted that the OYWA are all about the writers.
“Our focus is on growing the writers and their joy and love in this art form. We are committed to providing praise and feedback for each submission, regardless of where it places,” he said.
“Another aspect that we are extremely excited about is the OYWA collection, a collection of the writers’ work that will allow the winners and finalists to say they are truly published authors.”
Submissions will be judged by a panel that includes Dick, local author Robert Humphries and Okanagan College professors Kerry Gilbert, Jeremy Beaulne and Jeremy Lanaway.
There’s no cost for submissions, which is an intentional move by the OYWA committee to keep it open to everyone who wants to get involved.
After the Nov. 30 deadline, finalists will be announced on Dec. 9 and winners will be revealed on Dec. 16.
For more information and to enter, click this link.
