Ottawa Public Library banner for Pot-pourri 2025
books, contests, featured, public libraries, What's New, young writers

Pot-pourri 2025 launch: new works by Awesome Authors

Last weekend I attended the launch of Pot-pourri 2025, a gorgeous collection of the winning works of this year's Ottawa Public Library Awesome Authors contest. The book showcases eighteen contest winners, with poems, comics, and short stories in English and French from authors aged 9-12 and 13-18. There was a great turnout at this year's… Continue reading Pot-pourri 2025 launch: new works by Awesome Authors

author talks, authors, contests, public libraries, short stories, young writers

Awesome Authors 2019 – Submission Call

It's time for all the young writers in Ottawa to get their awesome on! The Ottawa Public Library wants you to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write a poem, short story, or comic (or all three!) to enter into the OPL's 2019 Awesome Authors youth writing contest. The contest is open to Ottawa… Continue reading Awesome Authors 2019 – Submission Call

author talks, books, children's books, contests, public speaking, school visits, writing, young writers

Immersed in Student Writing

This Tuesday, I had the pleasure of calling the names of twelve young writers whose short fiction won places in the Ottawa Public Library's Awesome Authors Contest. What a pleasure to be one of this year's judges and to read excerpts from the fantastic mix of winning stories: humour, drama, sci-fi, horror, and sad, sad… Continue reading Immersed in Student Writing

books, contests, public libraries, short stories, What's New, writing, young writers

Good Reading

I just received my copies of the latest Pot-Pourri -- that's the annual volume of youth writing published by the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA). This lovely book contains all the winning poems and stories from last year's Awesome Authors Contest, a youth writing competition held every winter by the Ottawa Public Library.… Continue reading Good Reading