Janessa
W accepted a writing award and a cheque for $50 at an awards gala hosted
at the Millenium Library on June 25. The gala was to honour winners of the
Winnipeg Free Press and Writers' Collective of Manitoba's 2014 Short
Fiction Contest. Janessa's story, "The Silent Singer", won third
place in the Senior Student Category.
Janessa
said the inspiration for "The Silent Singer" came from three of her
four siblings, all born deaf and now assisted by cochlear implants.
 |
| Elizabeth Denny, one of the judges of the Senior Student Category presents Janessa with her award. |
The
Grade 12 student originally wrote the story as part of her Grade 11 ELA exam
and was encouraged by Carman Collegiate English teacher Warren Hoffman and
Librarian Heather Armstrong to adjust the word count and submit the story to
the contest.
Contest
judge Lance Guilbault called "The Silent Singer" a
"beautiful, beautiful story" that "inspired readers to sing
their own song".
As
part of her prize, Janessa will enjoy a one-year membership to the Writers'
Collective of Manitoba which includes free access to writing resources,
invitations to writing events, contest entry fee discounts and a subscription
to the Writers' Collective newsletter.
Photos
by Heather Armstrong
