Three Winners of City’s Youth Poetry Contest Chosen

The City of Nanaimo and Vancouver Island Regional Library announce winners of the Youth Book Response: Poetry Contest

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed May 21, 2024 1:00 PM

Summary

The City of Nanaimo in partnership with the Vancouver Island Regional Library – Nanaimo Harbourfront are excited to announce the top three winners of the Youth Book Response: Poetry Contest as selected by the City of Nanaimo’s Youth Poet Laureate, Paige Pierce.

The winners of the competition are:

1st place: "Moon of the Crusted Snow” by Taya Hleck 2nd place: “A Fight for Love” by Emma Dupere 3rd place: “Stanley’s Shocking Summer” by Cora Setch

Honourable Mentions:

“Wonder” by Tavian Stark “Where the Wild Things Are” by Hazel Farley-Thompson

An initiative of Youth Poet Laureate, Paige Pierce, the Youth Book Response: Poetry Contest, was developed in collaboration with the Vancouver Island Regional Library – Nanaimo Harbourfront and open to poets under the age of 18 residing in the Nanaimo region. Participants were asked to create a poetic response to a book, poem, or text they appreciated or resonated with at any point in their lives. Nearly a dozen excellent entries were submitted over the course of several weeks, showcasing the strength and talents of Nanaimo’s young literary community. Reflecting Paige Pierce’s ambitions for her role as the ‘young people’s poet’, the contest is intended to serve as the first step in creating a community of youth writers and poets in Nanaimo in anticipation of future programs and events such as a poetry summer camp, public poetry readings, and literary workshops.

All poems submitted to the Youth Book Response: Poetry Contest will be on display in July at the Vancouver Island Regional Library’s Harbourfront location in downtown Nanaimo. More on the City’s Youth Poet Laureate program can be found on the City’s website at https://www.nanaimo.ca/parks-recreation-culture/poetry/youth-poet-laureate.

Link to Strategic Plan: Recognizes culture as a significant contributor to the city’s quality of life, recognizing and promoting the role that culture and the creative sector play in the community with respect to community identity and quality of life, as well as fostering equitable opportunities for all community members of different ages, abilities, and backgrounds to create, engage, experience, and contribute to Nanaimo’s arts and culture. Supports collaboration with, and between, arts and culture organizations, businesses, and other agencies to increase opportunities for working together.

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