The Ottawa Public Library’s Awesome Authors Youth Writing Contest is open for entries! Young writers of the nation’s capital, we want to read your stories, poems, and comics. Send them in before midnight on February 28th for a chance to win prizes and publication.

The Awesome Authors contest is open to Ottawa youth writing in English or French, in two age groups: 9-12 and 13-18. There are seven submission categories: short story; nouvelle; poetry; poésie; comic; bande dessinée; and book cover. Ambitious writers and artists can submit one of everything!

I’ll be judging English fiction in the 9-12 age category again this year — and I want to read your story.

Other judges this year are Apollo the Child; Amelinda Bérubé; Pierre-Luc Bélanger; and Éric Péladeau. (Yes, it’s the same awesome crew as last year — why mess with a good thing?) Check everyone out on the Ottawa Public Library’s YouTube channel.

All judges are offering free writing workshops to help you get started, at library branches across the city. Find the full schedule and registration links on the OPL Events page. My short story workshop will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, February 8th, at the Stittsville branch. I hope to see you there.

The contest deadline is well over a month away, which gives you lots of time to make your writing shine. Be sure to read all the rules before submitting. (Don’t go over the 1000-word limit!) Details are on the Awesome Authors page of the Ottawa Public Library website.

Check out the winning pieces and covers from past years anthologized in Pot-pourri, published annually by the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association.

Your work could be in this year’s anthology. Good luck!