New London, NH: For five years the Center for the Arts has asked local students in the towns of Andover, Bradford, Danbury, Grantham, New London, Newbury, Newport, Springfield, Sunapee, Sutton, Warner, and Wilmot to submit a writing sample in non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. Each year, winners are awarded prizes and their works printed in the CFA’s Writers Project Booklet.
This year many young writers submitted their work from local schools. The talent and creativity in this community are profound. Thank you to all the students who were willing to share their work.
Without further ado, the Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the winners of the 5th Annual Teen Writers Project Competition. As a reminder, this competition was open to local students between the ages of 12-18 in the categories of non-fiction, fiction and poetry.
The winners in the fiction category are:
1. Jenna Valela, sophomore at KRHS – Hurricane Inbound (with thanks to Makayla Gosselin)
2. Arianna Garceau, Sunapee, senior at SMHS – How to Measure Grief (with thanks to Katie Flint)
3. Annaliese Rowell, Sunapee, freshman at Colby Sawyer College – Step by Step
The winners in the non-fiction category are:
1. August Bates, sophomore at KRHS – A Thank You Letter to the Ocean (with thanks to Chris Dayhoff)
2. Annaliese Rowell, Sunapee, freshman at Colby Sawyer College – New Eyes
3. Harper Hoglund, 7th grader at KRMS – C is for Coughing (with thanks to Dr. Scolforo)
The winners in poetry are:
1. Arianna Garceau, Sunapee, senior at SMHS – To be an Unpronounceable Word (with thanks to Katie Flint)
2. Gabriella Soto, Newport, sophomore at SMHS – Siren’s Sonnet (with thanks to Katie Flint and Scott Macnamee)
3. Jenna Valela, sophomore at KRHS – Lannagan (with thanks to Makayla Gosselin)
The entries were judged by Tom Coverdale, retired English teacher of 37 years (1995 NH Teacher of the Year), and he had these comments about this year’s winners:
“These students have all shown that good writing challenges the intellect, quickens the emotion, and inspires the imagination. To read their offerings is not “a nice pastime”; it is essential to the human experience. I am so encouraged by these students who offer their insights, both delightful and profound.”
The winners will be presented with prizes, courtesy of the Center for the Arts, and their submissions will be posted on the CFA website CFA teen-writers-contest. Please check them out, along with winning submissions from previous years, and discover the talent that abounds in our youth community.
The Center for the Arts (CFA) is a nonprofit organization serving the Lake Sunapee Region of NH. Its mission is to enrich lives by supporting, promoting, and connecting literary, performing, and visual artists of all ages to our community. Find out more or join us in shaping a vibrant future where creativity thrives by visiting, www.centerfortheartsnh.org.