July 20 - 22, 2012
Young Writers Contest
Contest Rules
The contest is open to all students of Peterborough and area high schools.
The following rules must be followed to be eligible to win. The contest committee will read all entries. Final decisions are made by the committee as a whole. Every entrant is eligible to receive a complimentary gift book, while supplies last. Eligibility is determined by adherence to the contest rules. Winners are notified by telephone and by letter.
- You may enter through your school or by mailing in your entry independently.
- There are two divisions: Junior-grades 9 and 10; and Senior-grades 11-12
- There are two genres. You may enter either fiction or non-fiction prose. Fiction would include any piece of creative prose writing (sci-fi, mystery, romance, historical fiction); non-fiction would include accounts of experiences, biographical descriptions of people, or accounts of events (sports, travel, personal challenges, learning a new skill etc.). You are free to choose your topic and the genre you wish to enter. Please do not submit literary critiques or journalism assignments. Do not submit poetry.
- Your entry must be original. It must be your own work, suitable for copyright. Try to avoid using trade names in your text. Quotations and paraphrases must be attributed.
- Your entry must be approximately 500-1000 words in length. A few words either way is fine. Take time to revise and polish your prose. Make it the best it can be; be your own first critic.
- IMPORTANT: The title page must be a separate first sheet which
precedes your written work. On this page you must have the following
information: Title, your name, your grade, the name of your
school, the name of your teacher, your address and telephone number,
and whether your entry is fiction or non-fiction. Include your email
address, if possible. This information is essential.
- Please submit four (4) copies of your entry.
- The deadline is firm. Plan to have your submission ready one week
in advance of the deadline which is 6 p.m., Friday, May 13, 2011. Hand
your entry in to your teacher, or mail it to:
Young Writers at the Lakefield Literary Festival
Box 940
Lakefield, Ontario
K0L 2H0 - PRIZES: Prizes will be awarded to the best fiction and the best
non-fiction entry in both the junior and the senior divisions, four
prizes in all. Each winner will receive $50.00 to be awarded at an
awards ceremony held on Saturday, July 16, at Lakefield College School.
Winners receive two guest passes to this ceremony. At that time, the
winners will be presented with gift copies of our celebrity guest
authors' books. Each winner also
receives a beautiful engraved plaque as a lasting memento of his/her achievement. Important: It is the responsibility of the winner to collect his/ her prizes. All the winning entries are published in the Peterborough Examiner, with the permission of the author.
GOOD LUCK!