Celebrating Cumberland County’s young writers
Lots of teens like to read. Some of them love to write, too. A contest in Amherst gave more than two dozen young writers an opportunity to have their work evaluated by published authors, plus a chance to win a $250 cash prize.
“My friend told me about the contest,” said Aoife Byrnes, a Grade 9 student at Amherst Regional High School. “It seemed like an amazing opportunity to show my writing to others.”
The Amherst Veterinary Hospital (AVH) story contest invited students of Cumberland schools, grades 7 to 12, to submit a one-page work of fiction. A panel of three judges adjudicated the entries, resulting in one winner and eight honourable mentions.
Byrnes took first place with her story, entitled April 3rd, 1992.
“The inspiration behind my story was unhealthy relationships and how people handle them ... (how it feels) while letting go.”
The judges were impressed. Meghan Allen is a two-time published fiction author with a doctorate in math. Eric Sparling, one of AVH’s owners, has also published two fiction books. And the third judge, Charlotte Gallivan, brings extensive experience with her background as a librarian.
“The story is fully-formed and leaves the reader as devastated as the protagonist,” says Allen. “The writing style and content are polished and mature.”
Gallivan says, “It highlights an unfortunate reality of relationships that really resonated with me.” The “world-building and emotion” were wellexecuted, and Aoife should be “really proud.”
Sparling said the entry was “an exceptional submission, revealing great instincts for storytelling.”
In addition to the $250 prize, Byrnes’s story will be displayed for the coming year in the lobby of AVH, 311 Willow St., Amherst. Members of the public are invited to visit the animal hospital to read Byrnes’s work.
“We were thrilled with the response,” says Sparling, who organized the contest. “The quality of the stories — all the stories — was high. We’re going to run it again next year and hope to make it an annual event.”
Eight honourable mentions were recognized for their exceptional stories. Each received a $30 gift card to Coles. The eight included: Olivia Flemming, Abigail Flemming, Ace Burton, Julie Fromm, Emlyn Klassen, Madeleine Davage, Penelope Dickson and Tuesday Neves.