FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2007

30th Annual Atlantic Writing Competition Winners Announced

For thirty years, the Atlantic Writing Competition for unpublished manuscripts has been drawing out talent from across the Atlantic Provinces—those emerging writers who masquerade by day as everyday folk but who bravely confront and fill blank pages by night (or in some cases, the very early morning).

Since the contest began, several thousand writers who’ve found the courage to take their manuscript from that dusty drawer and into the hands of the competition judges, have been rewarded with encouragement, advice and recognition. Many have gone on to trade publication. This year, more than 200 writers submitted work to the competition’s six categories: Writing for Children, YA/Juvenile Novel, Short Story, Magazine Article/Essay, Poetry and Adult Novel. The contest juries, drawn from writers, publishers, booksellers, librarians, teachers and writing instructors, read and commented on each entry before selecting this year’s 18 winners.

The winners of the 30th annual Atlantic Writing Competition are:

WFNS extends warmest congratulations to all participants in this year’s competition. Entry forms for the 31st annual AWC are now online at www.writers.ns.ca/awc.html or upon request by calling 902-423-8116.

This competition is the hardiest perennial of all of the Writers’ Federation programs, and the first ever offered 30 years ago. Its backlist of winning writers reads like a Who’s Who of Canadian writers — Bill Percy, Joyce Barkhouse, Budge Wilson, Lesley Choyce, George Elliott Clarke, Don Aker, donalee Moulton, Arthur Motyer, Allan Donaldson, Elaine McCluskey, Ami McKay...and many, many more—writers who were finally summoned from their drafty garrets, recognized, celebrated and welcomed into the warm at the WFNS Gala.

The 30th annual Gala Celebration of Writers and Writing will take place at the Alderney Landing Theatre in Dartmouth, September 22 at 7pm, the eve of Word on the Street. There will be award presentations, readings, skits, blasts from the Competition’s past, refreshments and more. The tables will be loaded with fabulous writerly goods for the silliest silent auction this side of Sotheby’s. Everyone is welcome.

For further information, please contact:
Jane Buss or Susan Mersereau, WFNS
(902) 423 8116 / talk@writers.ns.ca / www.writers.ns.ca

ABOUT THE WINNERS

The H.R. (Bill) Percy Prize to Scott Bartlett of Paradise, NL for 'Royal Flush'

If you asked Scott Bartlett what DNA stands for, he would reply, “Douglas Noel Adams.”  An avid reader and writer, he is in his third year at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, pursuing an English degree with the intent—perhaps malicious—of eventually becoming a professor. Scott has written two novels, and is fortunate enough that only one of them makes him nauseous.  He has been writing creatively for about six years. Scott serves on the Board of Directors for the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador. He won the Write to Win short story contest in 2005 (held by Chapters) as well as the Skin and Fog haiku contest in 2006 (held by the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador).

Second to Halifax's Kathy Chisholm for 'Urban Tiger: Tails of a Cat Vet'

Kathy Chisholm taught elementary school in Prince Rupert, BC and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for five years. After kicking about North America in a van for a year, she and her husband established an exclusively feline veterinary practice in Halifax in September, 1987. They have grown from a staff of two, 700 square feet and one resident cat to a staff of ten, 2000 square feet and five resident cats. Kathy manages the practice while her husband is chief veterinarian. They share their home in Nova Scotia with guinea pigs, cats, dogs and numerous dust bunnies.

Kathy has also won this year's Short Story category.

The Joyce Barkhouse Writing for Children Prize to Carolee Nichols of Dartmouth for 'Bud, The Homeless Cat.'

A retired elementary school teacher, Carolee is no stranger to children’s literature and literacy education. She is married with two grown children and three grandchildren, dividing her year between Dartmouth and Florida and volunteering her time to teach others to read. Her winning story was written at a time when she was doing some volunteering with refugees and people living on the streets. She became intrigued by the idea of how to convey homelessness to younger children in a way that would help them understand, move them, and yet be appropriate to their age and sensibilities. Along came Bud, who seemed to personify this sense of loss and the healing effect of just sticking together and being helpful.

Second to Rachel Cooper of Delhaven, NS, for 'The Too Many Pennies of Peter McFeeter'

A graduate of Acadia University, Rachel has lived and worked in other parts of Canada, in France, and in Cambridge, England, where she was a senior editor on a family of technical magazines for several years. She returned from England to live in Nova Scotia in 2003.

Third to Dennis Praest of Halifax for 'The Cracked Quack'

Born in Copenhagen Denmark, Dennis moved to Canada when he was only four, finally setting in Halifax in 1983. His love of writing began in grade three when he was taught to write a Chinese-styled poem, but it was his children who inspired him to first tell and later write children's stories. Dennis operates a cleaning company that keeps him very busy, but in his spare time, he enjoys going to the gym with his daughter and writing whatever comes to mind.

Honorable Mention to Alison Dixon Mullane of Halifax for 'Nina's Adventures in Paris'

Alison is a journalist living in Halifax. She has a BA from Saint Mary’s University and a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of King’s College. After finishing journalism school, Alison hosted the CBC youth consumer show Street Cents for 3 years, which won a Gemini for two of those seasons. Now, Alison reports for CBC News, both locally and nationally. For the past few years, she’s been writing for television, but loves writing fiction, especially for young readers. She says, "I think it’s an age when kids become passionate readers, when they stay up at night with flashlights under the covers to read one more chapter. And with a guinea pig of my own as inspiration, I wanted to write a children’s adventure story that I would have loved to read when I was eight years old."

The Poetry Prize to Nanci Lee of Halifax for 'Lessons'

Nanci is a self-professed lover of words who finds every opportunity to read them and play with them, to shape them to talk with the world. She’s read some of her poems in local cafes, at a women’s march and in the shower! Earlier this summer, Nanci’s first published poems appeared in Contemporary Verse 2, with forthcoming poems in The Fiddlehead and The Antigonish Review.

Photo by Kate Holmes

Second to Janet Barkhouse for 'New Words'

Janet Barkhouse is a member of the recently formed - and as yet unnamed - poetry group, which evolved from a writing workshop given by Carole Langille, and which now meets weekly at The Biscuit Eater in Mahone Bay. Several years ago, CBC’s Atlantic Airwaves invited Janet to read one of her short stories, “The Snare,” just before she was hired to teach English at Park View Education Centre. Once teaching, her own writing was largely limited to professional work,including curriculum for the Province. She is now retired.

Third to Richard Toth of Bathurst, NB for 'Carpetbag'

Richard has had poems published in The New Brunswick Reader, The Halifax Review, The Gaspereau Review, The Antigonish Review, QWERTY, and TOPS. In 2001, he won first prize in the poetry division of the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick’s annual Literary Competition and an honourable mention in the 2003 competition. In 2003, he won third prize in the Ontario Poetry Society’s Second Time Around competition. His short story, “Tom and Theresa,” is included in New Brunswick Short Stories, published by Neptune Publishing. In 2006, he was chosen to compete in the CBC’s National Poetry Face-Off.

Honorable Mention to Susie Bowers for 'Lifelong Project of a Secret Scribe'

The poems Susie Bowers submitted to the competition are part of a long project in progress. She has been working on a poetry manuscript as part of her MA degree in English and Creative Writing at UNB, but has been writing poetry and interested in literature since she was a child. Two of her poems have been published in The Antigonish Review and one is forthcoming in an issue of ARC.

Honorable Mention to Mary Kathryn Arnold of Halifax for 'Hospital Hymns'

Mary Kathryn Arnold is a Halifax-based poet. She has a MA in English from the University of Toronto. Her poetry has appeared in The Antigonish Review, The New Compass (online) and The Fiddlehead. She is working on her first poetry book, tentatively titled "Girls with Their Curls: An alphabet and Other Poems".

Magazine Article Prize to Veronica Butler of Lunenburg for 'My Lemon Tree'
(no second or third place this year)

Veronica Butler began writing after retiring, when she joined a local writers’ group. It was members of this group who persuaded her to submit this essay, which she wrote largely for her own enjoyment. This is the first piece she has sent to any editor or competition.

Photo by Ellen Agger

The Young Adult Novel Prize to Philip Roy of Antigonish for 'Alfred, The Submarine Outlaw'

Born and raised in Antigonish, Philip has five kids and two degrees in History. He’s also written an adult novel and several picture book stories. In the 2004 Competition, he placed third in the Writing for Children category.

Second to Marcia Pierce Harding of Liverpool for 'Sable’s Spirit'

As a child, Marcia was fascinated by fishermen's yarns of wild horses running free along the sandy shores of a haunted island. Later, she drew inspiration form Joyce Barkhouse's Pit Pony and Thomas H. Raddall's Nymph and the Lamb. She is a retired teacher, married to her childhood sweetheart and has two children. Her goal in writing 'Sable's Spirit' was to caputre some of the beauty, heroism and mystique of the Island. When not writing, Marcia indulges her addiction to chocolate milkshakes while strolling Summervile Beach, raising Labrador pups, and sailing on her aptly named Alberg 30, Sable's Spirit.

Third to Lisa Harrington of halifax for 'The Big Dig'

Lisa was born in Amherst and raised in Halifax, where she still lives with her husband and two children. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Acadia University, and a Degree in Education from Mount Saint Vincent University. She has no previous writing credits or experience. 'The Big Dig' is fictional, though a number of people and events are loosely based on her own childhood. She wrote this story for her daughter and promised herself she would finish it by the time she was the appropriate age to read it. Much to her surprise, she did – and her daughter loved it!

Honourable Mention to Daphne Greer of Newport for 'Growing up with Duncan'

Four years ago, Daphne left her chosen field of working with children and adults who have special needs to be at home with her four girls. It was then that she took up writing – and she hasn’t looked back. She joined the Writers’ Federation of NS and enrolled in several sessions with the much-loved Norene Smiley. Daphne now belongs to a weekly writers’ group known as the Thursday Scribblers. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Studies – majoring in Developmental Disabilities. She has written articles that have appeared in her local newspaper, The Hants Journal.

The Short Story Prize to Kathy Chisholm of Halifax for 'Seen But Not Heard'

Kathy taught elementary school in Prince Rupert, BC and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for five years. After kicking about North America in a van for a year, she and her husband established an exclusively feline veterinary practice in Halifax in September, 1987. They have grown from a staff of two, 700 square feet and one resident cat to a staff of ten, 2000 square feet and five resident cats. Kathy manages the practice while her husband is chief veterinarian. They share their home in Nova Scotia with guinea pigs, cats, dogs and numerous dust bunnies.

Kathy also placed Second in this year's unpublished novel category.

Second to Nadia Bobak for 'Unspoken Eulogy for Petie'

Born in Switzerland of Norwegian and Italian American parents, Nadia Bobak has lived in Canada for most of her life. As a result of her father’s career as a violinist, she had the opportunity to live in several countries. She has worked as a journalist, editor and assistant director in the film industry, and has been writing fiction since childhood. Her non-fiction stories have been published in a variety of newspapers and magazines. She has also freelanced for HarperCollins and is currently working on her first book. She is now living and working in Halifax and studies piano and voice in her spare time.

Third to Amy Smith of Dartmouth for 'Long, Long Gone'

Amy holds Bachelor Degrees in Arts and Education as well as a Masters in Literacy Education. She is a member of the Writers’ Federation and has taken fiction-writing classes at Mount Saint Vincent University. She has taught in London, England and is currently teaching History at a local high school. She lives in Cole Harbour with her husband and step-son.

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For further information, please contact:
Jane Buss or Susan Mersereau, WFNS
902-423-8116 talk@writers.ns.ca