Surrey Libraries’ Young Adult Writing Contest (YAWC) turns 30 this year. Since launching in 1987, Surrey Libraries has received over 5500 entries with an average of 198 entries per year.
In 2010, Julie Bergen came into Cloverdale Library, looking for her 1989 prize-winning short story, “Dreams of Inspiration,” to show her son the writing legacy she belongs to in this community. Imagine her son’s wonder at seeing his mom’s story in the library, written when she was his age.
Taryn Pearcey, a multiple winner of the contest, founded an indie writing magazine, Misfit Lit. She recently won the prize for short fiction in PRISM magazine, and credits the library’s contests as stepping stones that helped develop her skills.
Last year, Linda Xia won first prize in the YAWC. As part of her prize, she attended the Surrey International Writers’ Conference, and got a coveted request from a literary agent to see more of her work.
“These stories of teen’s creativity sparked by the contest are only a few examples out of many. Surrey Libraries’ YAWC gives teens an opportunity to achieve their creative potential and develop confidence,” says Surinder Bhogal, Chief Librarian. “We’re so proud to be celebrating our 30th anniversary this year. The Contest has been successful due to the tremendous enthusiasm and creative talent shown by Surrey teens, as well as the support from the community. The Contest would not be possible without our sponsors and dedicated judges from the community.”
The contest is open to ages 12-18 and is free to enter. Cash prizes of $150, $125, $100 per category and age group are awarded. Teens can submit short stories, poems, or comics before July 31, 11:59 pm.
“New to this year, we’ve introduced a Memoir category in honour of our 30th anniversary and Canada 150,” explains Ellen Wu, Contest coordinator. ”Teens can explore a memory from their past, or write about how their community has shaped them.”
Winners will be acknowledged at an Awards Gala in the Fall. For contest rules, visit the libraries or surreylibraries.ca
