May 20, 2021 – The Writers' Federation of New Brunswick has announced the winners for its annual New Brunswick Writing Competition. The winners will be feted during a ceremony at the WFNB’s fall writing festival, Wordsfall, slated for October 22-23.
Every year, the competition celebrates writers who submit unpublished work in seven categories: novel, poetry manuscript, short story, narrative non-fiction, single poem, stories for youth, and short story or poem written by teens.
The winners are as follows:
David Adams Richards Prize (novel extract, novella, short story collection)
Judge: Carol Bruneau
- First Place Winner: Zev Bagel (Shediac, NB), Solitary
- Second Place Winner: Trent Pomeroy (Rothesay) Writers, Rats and Other Creatures
- Third Place Winner: Elizabeth Blanchard (Grand -Barachois), The Last Time My Mother Left Without Her Shoes
Honourable Mentions:
- Heather Gunn (Shediac), How’s she Goin’?
- Brent Mason (Saint John), The Root Cellar and Other Stories
- Ann Marie Beatttie (Oshawa), In the Shadow of Secrets
- Sharon Bird (Calgary), Gulliver’s Gulch
Alfred G. Bailey Prize (poetry manuscript)
Judge: Annick MacAskill
- First Place Winner: Keagan Hawthorn (Sackville), After the Harvest
- Second Place Winner: Jill Dunderdale (Fredericton) What Autumn Taught Me
- Third Place Winner: Kayla Geitzler (Moncton) Witching in the Blood
Douglas Kyle Memorial Prize (single short story)
Judge: Evelyn C White
- First Place Winner: Agata Antonow (Florenceville-Bristol), Nightcrawlers
- Second Place Winner: Brent Mason (Saint John), It Takes a Village
- Third Place Winner: Anne Marie Beattie (Oshawa), The Songwriter
Narrative Nonfiction Prize
Judge: Monica Graham
- First Place Winner: Roger Moore (Island View), Two Dead Poets
- Second Place Winner: Scott Wilson (Regina), Homework Assignments & Human Sacrifices
- Third Place Winner: Trent Pomeroy (Rothesay), Small Stories
Dawn Watson Memorial Prize (single poem)
Judge: L M Rochefort
- First Place Winner: Kathy Mac (Fredericton), An Element
- Second Place Winner: Shari Andrews (New Maryland), Double-Boiler
- Third Place Winner: Shari Andrews (New Maryland), Banner of Unusual News
Fog Lit Books For Young People Prize (short stories or poems for young people)
Judge: Lisa Harrington
- First Place Winner: Karen Davidson (Elgin), Albert County Tuxedo
- Second Place Winner: Cheryl Thomas (Lower Coverdale), The Tangled Up Pups
- Third Place Winner: Cheryl Thomas (Lower Coverdale), Humblebee the Bumblebee
Sheree Fitch Prize for Teen Writers (short story or poem written by teens)
Judge: Joanne Levy
- First Place Winner: Tori Garnett (Saint John), Woman
- Second Place Winner: Olivia Mazerolle (Riverview), The Ferryman
- Third Place Winner: Emmalyn Sheehan (Lepreau), Loss
The Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick thanks its sponsors of the annual Writing Competition: David Adams Richards, Weymedia, Atlantic Industries Ltd., The Kyle Family, Steeves Excavating, the NB Film Co-op, Sheree Fitch, the Fog Lit committee, and various anonymous supporters of writers and writing in NB.
WFNB has held these awards every year since 1985. Our annual competition launches careers, highlights the vitality and exemplary writing in our province, and shines a light on the diversity of literary talent.
Our mandate includes raising public awareness of literary culture in New Brunswick by showcasing the works of New Brunswick and Canadian authors. We are the provincial membership organization for writers in New Brunswick.
