Shortlist for Island Literary Awards announced

CHARLOTTETOWN –

The P.E.I. Writers' Guild announced its shortlist for the Island Literary Awards and the Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty Creative Writing Awards for Young People.

The guild is honouring the winners during award galas at the Trailside Music Hall on Sunday, June 11.

The youth literary awards gala will take place from 11 a.m. to noon, with doors opening at 10:30 a.m., and the Island Literary Awards will be held from 2-3:30 p.m., with doors opening at 1:30 p.m.

During the adult awards, writers will be recognized in poetry, creative non-fiction, literature for children and short stories.

The Island Literary Awards are also presenting awards in recognition and celebration of the literary merit of Black Island writers, writers that are

Short-listed writers for the youth categories are as follows:

Early Elementary:

• Adaira Laird for Snowflake the Snow Elf

• Damon Cheuk for Rainbow

• Fynn Peterhans for My Pet Chicken Bily

• Milana Perelman for Blue

• Ryan Yan for Orange

Late Elementary:

• Avery Curley for The Bank Robbing Brothers

• Emilie Laurin for Tilly and the Four Seasons Tree

• Rory Laird for Tom’s Question

Junior High:

• Arden Gallant for The Main Rule

• Garion Laird for Gold, You Say?

• Heloise Brugali for They Will Save Us Tomorrow

• Katie Grandy for A Piece of Cake

Senior High:

• Eliot White for Alone

new to Canada, Indigenous writers, francophone writers and 2SLGBTQ+ writers.

• Emily Hunter for An Ordinary Life

• Isabella Drake for Iron and Salt

• Laura MacDougall for Welcome Aboard Your Consciousness

• Scarlett Dovey for “Ms. Coley Nye”

Short-listed writers for adult categories are as follows:

The Heirs of L.M. Montgomery Literature for Children Awards:

• Eleanor Kielly-Wedlake for Goodnight Seaside

• Kelley Wright for The Great Ball Rescue

• Rebecca Dawson for Shuffle Step

• Richard Lush for The Creators Plan

Richard Lemm and Lee Ellen Pottie Poetry Awards:

• Jo Godden for Est. 1922: Soup, these days, and oh my darling

• Kara Griffin for The Mother

The Champion of Reading Award, the Reshard Gool Award for Creative Writing

Tree Wept

• Vinnie Love for tough love letters

Maritime Electric Short Story Awards:

• Desiree Anstey for Into the Islet

• Gavin Laird for Well

Grounded

• Isaac King for A Warm Season

• Mark Enman for The Bookshop

The Joan & Regis Duffy Foundation Creative Non-Fiction Awards:

• D. Bailey Clark for The Edge, Found

• Jane Affleck for A Biography of My Maternal Grandmother, in Sixteen Parts

• Stuart Macfarlane for Long Odds

Acorn Press Marie Coyoteblanc Indigenous Writing Award:

• Richard Lush for Meskeyi Nkwis - I am sorry my son

• Tara-Lynn Rioux for Nestuita’si I recollect,

and the Joseph Sherman Award will also be presented.

More information and

• Willie Poll for Fractured Indigeneity; The ramblings of a half breed

IRSA Newcomers to Canada Award:

• Lorenzo Perez for Sees It

Black Cultural Society of PEI Scott Parsons Literary Award:

• Chanel Briggs for Hurricanes and Other Disasters

• Ellie Langston for A frozen memory

PEERS Alliance 2SLGTBQ+ Award:

• Lauren Jean Lawlor for CHEESESTRING FICELLO

SAF’Île Francophone Award:

• Geneviève Ouellette for Une bibitte franco-canadienne

• Gilbert Ladéroute for Je pense à toi

Réshard Gool Award for Creative Writing:

• Abby Lacey and Nicole Bellamy

Joseph Sherman Award:

• Charity Becker

tickets are available online at youthawards2023.eventbrite. ca.