The final countdown is on! There's only one day left to enter the First Page student writing challenge!
If you're looking for tips to polish your entry, we've got you covered.
Former First Page judge Courtney Summers has some advice for you on your writing journey.
Engage your reader
Courtney Summers says: "Writing and reading are powerful tools to connect to and empathize with others, and we live in a time — or really, we've always lived in this time — where connection and empathy is sorely needed. Contests like these understand the necessity of encouraging new and diverse voices, the importance of artistic self-expression and how much we benefit, culturally, from both."
"Writing requires both hubris and humility, so hold fast to that part of yourself that believes your stories are worth telling, but never think you're so good at telling them that you can't ever improve.
"Take your craft seriously and treat it with respect. If you give the writing everything you've got, with each new work you'll find you have more of everything to give."
Click the link below for more writing tips.
The challenge will be accepting submissions until February 28, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Finalists from each category will be selected by a team of CBC readers.
Finalists will be notified by email in the spring of 2025. The exact timing will depend on the number of submissions received.
Winners will receive...
- A one-year subscription to OwlCrate, which sends fresh boxes of books to young readers across Canada on a monthly basis.
- 50 free YA books for their school library
You can read the complete rules and regulations here.
Last year's winners were Toronto's Anya Thadani in the Grades 7 to 9 category for Fixed and Kleefeld, Man's Hayley Peters in the Grades 10 to 12 for Forbidden Realities.
After winning, here's what the winners had to say about the contest.
Anya Thadani says: "I've loved to write since I was little and winning has given me much more confidence in my writing."
Hayley Peters says: "I focused on creating a world that drew people in and left them wanting more, so I'm glad that was acknowledged. This has made me realize how important it is to hook your readers right at the beginning and not let go."
Keep reading for more details.Download posters for your classrooms: in colour, black and white, or mobile-friendly version
WHAT YOU CAN WRITE: Your entry can be 300-400 words in length. The story could be from any literary genre, from mystery or thriller to literary fiction, from adventure or romance to satire or science fiction. Your entry also needs a title, but the title is not included in the word limit. Your entry can be written in any genre.
WHO CAN ENTER: This contest is open to all Canadian residents who are full-time students enrolled in Grades 7 to 12. Entries will be judged in two age categories: Grades 7 to 9 and Grades 10 to 12.
PRIZES: The winner of each category will receive a one-year subscription to OwlCrate, which delivers monthly boxes of books and literary-related goodies. The school library of each winner will also receive a donation of 50 books.
WHEN YOU CAN SUBMIT: Feb. 1 to 28, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
TEACHER GUIDES: Visit Curio.ca for discussion questions and writing tips from Canadian writers, like Cory Doctorow, Linwood Barclay, Fonda Lee, Cherie Dimaline, Erin Bow, Katherena Vermette and M.G. Vassanji.
HAVE QUESTIONS? Email us at cbcbooks@cbc.ca.
If you're interested in other writing prizes, check out:
