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Ottawa Public Library's Awesome Authors Contest

By Deanna Bertrend January 12, 2022

Write and be awesome! 

OPL’s Awesome Authors contest opens January 10! 

It’s that time of year again when Ottawa Public Library challenges children and youth interested in writing to push their creative flair for self-expression and literary composition to the next level by inviting them to sign up for the next edition of the Library’s Awesome Authors Youth Writing Contest!   

OPL is thrilled to announce that Awesome Authors is open for another year to set in motion an experience of learning and creativity that will shine the light on young local writers.  If you have a thing for storytelling, drawing or writing, 2022 might be your year to become an awesome author.  

Starting January 10, 2022, participants aged 9 to 12 and 13 to 18 will prepare to compete against their peers by submitting an original piece of writing in one of the following categories: comic/graphic novel, poem, and short story. Contestants have until Friday February 25, 2022, to submit their entries in English or French and even in both official languages! 

Rest assured, young scribes. You won’t be alone during this writing journey. Participants will be able to polish their writing skills by attending various workshops hosted by local authors who will prepare contestants for the competition as well as share their knowledge with them. These workshop leaders are the same seasoned authors who will be on the panel to choose the best works that will determine this year’s winners.  Hurry to register for the workshops which dates, and time are announced on the OPL website.    

The deadline to submit a work of writing is February 25, 2022. Each participant may submit one piece in each of the 6 categories: comic, poem, short story, bandes dessinée, poème and nouvelle. In the case of comics, submission coauthored by two participants will be accepted. Entries may be submitted electronically through the Awesome Author’s web page, or in person at any open branch during opening hours and Bookmobile stop. 

Contest winners (including honourable mentions) will be announced online. They will be awarded cash prizes, and the winning entries in each category will be published in Pot-pourri, the annual anthology published and printed by the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library (FOPLA). Visit https://www.fopla-aabpo.ca/shop/pot-pourri-2020/. 

The contest is made possible with the generous support of the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA). FOPLA has always been an ally to the library and is delighted to give those kids and teens the chance to showcase their talent to the community and promote creative exploration and expression.  

Young writers, we are passing the pen to you. Let the contest begin! For more information on the contest, visit https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/awesome-authors