Awesome Authors 2020

The Ottawa Public Library’s annual Youth Writing Contest — Awesome Authors — is underway! If you’re an Ottawa resident between the ages of 9 and 18, sharpen your pencils or boot up your computer because it’s time to get writing and drawing.

Awesome Authors honours the very best poems, stories, and comics in English and French submitted by young Ottawa writers and artists from December through February each year. This year’s deadline is February 28th — that’s tons of time to get your best material polished.

If you need help getting your work in order, register for one of the many writing workshops being offered across town for free. I’m giving the fiction workshop for kids aged 9-12 and I’d love to meet you.

English workshops:

Short story workshop with Catherine Austen for ages 9-12, Stittsville branch, February 1st at 11 am
Short story workshop with Amelinda Bérubé for ages 13-18, Hazeldean branch, February 8th at 1:30 pm
Comic book workshop with Éric Péladeau for ages 9+, Ruth E. Dickinson branch, February 15th at 2 pm
Poetry workshop with Apollo The Child for ages 9-12, Greenboro branch, February 22nd at 10:30 am
Poetry workshop with Apollo The Child for ages 13-18, Carlingwood branch, February 22nd at 2 pm

French workshops:

Comment devenir un(e) super auteur(e) with Karine Perron for ages 9+, St-Laurent branch, February 1st at 3 pm
Comment devenir un super bédéiste with Éric Péladeau for ages 9+, Cumberland branch, February 15th at 11 am 

If you’re super-keen, you can submit in every category for your age group! Whatever you do, follow the rules outlined on the OPL website. Have fun, work hard, and submit by February 28th.

Winners will be announced at an Award Ceremony in April 2020. Winners will receive awesome prizes and their winning work will be published in next year’s Pot-pourri anthology.

Good luck.