Short-story finalists to be named Monday

Now celebrating its 20th year, UBC Okanagan’s creative writing contest has doubled the prize money and attracted close to 100 entries from budding B.C. authors.

With $1,800 and publication in subTerrain magazine at stake, the names of the final four winners will be announced at the contest finale. On Monday, the top four writers will be invited to read an excerpt from their winning story.

UBC’s Okanagan Short Story Contest is an annual competition, open to fiction writers in the Southern Interior of B.C.

The first-place author will net $1,000, second $400 and third $200. The winning author will also have their story published in subTerrain magazine.

This is the first year high-school students can participate and there is an additional $200 prize for the top short story written by a high-school student.

Winning submissions will be selected by past contest winner and current Thompson Rivers University writing professor Karen Hofmann, who will announce the final four writers on Monday.

Shortlisted authors — adult category in alphabetical order: Victoria Alvarez of Lake Country Kale Bajowsky of Revelstoke Alison Braid of Summerland Serena Caner of Canoe Colette Langlois of Vernon Brittni MacKenzie-Dale of Kelowna Samantha Macpherson of Lake Country Angelika M. Offenwanger of Oyama Kazim Sherazee of Kelowna Leah Todd of Kelowna Shortlisted authors — high-school category in alphabetical order: Bethany Pardoe of LV Rogers Secondary School Finn Tobin of Mount Boucherie Secondary School Anna Vajda of Heritage Christian Online School The free, one-hour public event Monday takes place at the Okanagan Regional Library, downtown Kelowna branch, 1380 Ellis St., starting at 6:30 p.m.