Write2Xpress contest for young people in Oakville

This year's image, by Paul "CoolHat" French

Write2Xpress is an annual creative writing contest open to teens in grades 7 through 12 in Oakville, Ontario. Participants are given an image as a prompt on which to base their writing, and categories for entries include short story and poetry. The contest opens Aug 26, 2018; deadline Oct 21, 2018.

Prizes are awarded to winners in each category (short story and poetry) in three different age groups: grades 7–8, 9–10, and 11–12.

Participants can find out more details and submit their work here.

The aim of Write2Xpress is to provide teens with an opportunity to express themselves creatively, in an environment that values literacy, learning, respect, and support. This is a unique opportunity where teens can engage with their peers and the literacy community, as well as providing access to resources and information.

Judges:
Brian Henry has been a book editor, author, and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for writers and is the author of numerous book reviews, articles, and opinion pieces for the National Post, The Toronto Star, Books in Canada, The Jewish Tribune, The Canadian Jewish News, and numerous websites. He’s also the author of a children’s version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing Inc). But his proudest boast is that he’s has helped many of his students get published and launch their careers as authors.

Shelly Sanders spent twenty years writing for national publications in Canada, including Maclean’s, Reader’s Digest, the Toronto Star, and Canadian Living before deciding to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a novelist. Inspired by her grandmother’s experiences as a Russian Jew who escaped a pogrom and fled to Shanghai, she began work on Rachel’s Secret. Three years, four creative writing courses at the University of Toronto, and thirty drafts later, it was accepted by Second Story Press. Rachel’s Secret received starred reviews in Booklist, was an iTunes Book of the Week, and was chosen as a Notable Book for Teens, by the Association of Jewish Libraries. Shelly has since gone on to complete the trilogy with Rachel’s Promise in 2013 and Rachel’s Hope in 2014.

Leah Bobet is a novelist, editor, and bookseller with Bakka-Phoenix Books, Canada's oldest science fiction bookstore. Her novels have won multiple awards, with her most recent, dustbowl literary fantasy An Inheritance of Ashes, receiving the Prix Aurora Award, the Sunburst Award, the Copper Cylinder Awards, and an Ontario Library Association 2015 Best Bets selection and being shortlisted for the Canadian Library Young Adult Book Award and the Cybils Award. Leah lives and works in Toronto, where she makes a lot of jam, knits sweaters, and is learning game design. 

The Awards Night/Celebration will be held

Thursday, November 15

Queen Elizabeth Park Community & Cultural Centre

7:00 – 8:45 pm

 With guest speaker Cheryl Xavier

Cheryl Antao-Xavier followed her passion for the written word in a 30-year career in the publishing industry in positions ranging from author, editor, proofreader, desktop design, and publisher. In 2008, she set up In Our Words Inc., a Canadian publishing company, and to date has helped over a hundred authors bring their creative dreams to fruition. Cheryl writes poetry, non-fiction, and kids' books. Her poetry collections are, Dance of the Peacock: a collection of poems, 2008; Bruised but Unbroken: poems, 2017. Her children’s book series entitled Life in Maple Woods, 2014. She is a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada, the League of Canadian Poets, and the Heliconian Club. She is the founding chair of the Literary Circles in Streetsville and Courtneypark. She initiated a reading program called 'The Red Bench--a place to read.'

More about Write2Xpress here.

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including Saturday writing workshops,weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.