May 28, 2007 - 4:16am
After several months of preparation and promotion followed by two months of judging, the winners of the third annual Nanaimo Short Fiction Contest have finally been announced.
The winner of this year’s contest is Liz Laidlaw for her entry New View, Top to Bottom, a strong, insightful entry with all the power of an Alice Munro short story.
”I loved this story and thought it was very sophisticated,” said Robert Hilles, the final contest judge and creative writing instructor at Malaspina University-College. “More than any of the entries, it masterfully takes us to that wondrous moment of insight in a way that only great short stories can. It was a thrill to read from start to finish.”
Second place in this year’s contest is Eric Graves for his entry Desolation, which Hilles found particularly moving.
“I think this entry realistically captures how we deal with grief. I found the ending especially strong and it brought me to tears.”
Third place this year is Kim Clark for her story Aphylaxis, a strong character piece written in a contemporary voice.
“In a mere few sentences, the author constructs a strong main character and puts her in an intriguing situation,” said Hilles. “This writer gets so many aspects of the short story just right.”
Liz Laidlaw will receive a $500 first prize and a free creative writing class at Malaspina University-College, while Eric Graves will receive a second prize of $250 and a free class. Kim Clark will receive $100.
Other writers selected for the contest shortlist were Mary Peppard (two stories selected), Gloria Tweed (two stories selected), Adrienne Mercer, Deirdre Santesso, Cathie Mayovsky, Roxann Morpak, Simon Hoodikoff and Margaret Whitford.
In the youth category of the Nanaimo Short Fiction Contest (for ages 13-18), this year’s winner is Nick Breault for his story The Day I Realized I was a Man, a touching story about war and a young man coming to a realization at the time of his death. Second prize this year in the youth category is Robert Nelson for his story Gruth and Snow, a slickly written adventure story about a son avenging an attack on his father.
In the junior category this year (ages 12 and under), Rachel Miller won first prize for her entry Pickled Frogs, a charming, well-written story about two girls and the mystery of their secret fort. Second place this year goes to Zayge Klein for her story A Tiger Ate My Parents, a creative and clever moral about a young girl’s trip to the zoo.
This contest was organized by the Nanaimo Arts Council and was co-sponsored by the Faculty of Arts & Humanities at Malaspina University-College. Both groups are very happy with the success of the event.
The 2008 Nanaimo Short Fiction Contest will be launched in October 2008. Readings by the winning writers of the 2007 contest will be announced in the coming month.
For more information, contact the Nanaimo Arts Council at 729-3947 or admin@nanaimoartscouncil.ca
Tags: In the Community
