What: Naming the top-three winners of UBC’s 2017 Okanagan Short Story Contest
Who: Contest finalists, UBC faculty, students, the public
When: Tuesday, April 18, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Where: Okanagan Regional Library, The Great Room, 1380 Ellis Street, Kelowna
It’s down to three finalists in the 2017 Okanagan Short Story contest, organized by UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS).
The first-place winner, along with the runners-up, will be announced by author Renée Sarojini Saklikar at a special event April 18 in the new “Great Room” at the Kelowna branch of the Okanagan Regional Library.
“Our contest judge explained to us how tough the decision-making was,” says Michael V. Smith, an assoc. prof. with the department of Creative Studies. “We’re thrilled Renée can come back to announce the winners in person. This has felt like a banner year for the contest.”
The annual contest, now in its 19th year, received more than 80 entries. That number was narrowed down to a shortlist, juried by FCCS faculty members. From that list, Saklikar, UBC Okanagan’s 2017 Writer in Residence, reviewed and made the final selections.
Smith says there will be more than one “wonderful announcement” on April 18: UBC will share the news about a new Short Story Contest category, as well as larger prize pool for winning authors for next year’s contest.
The April 18 event also launches the 2017 PaperShell creative writing anthology at UBC Okanagan.
This year’s shortlisted stories (in no particular order) are:
- “The Elm Tree” by Dick Bird of Princeton
- “The Island” by Karen Hofmann of Kamloops
- “Poppy and Boo” by Michael Griffin of Kelowna
- “Getting Straight” by Carol Zuckerman of Kelowna
- “A Certain Way With Furniture” by Cliff Hatcher of Kamloops
- “Rose” by Monique Thériault of Kelowna
- “Blood June” by Summer Kenney of Kelowna
Along with the $500 prize money and bragging rights, this year’s winner will have their story published in Vancouver-based subTerrain magazine and win a one-week residency at the Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre. Second and third-place winners receive $200 and $100, respectively.
The contest is sponsored by FCCS at UBC Okanagan, Kelowna Capital News, the Central Okanagan Foundation and subTerrain magazine.
More information can be found at: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/short-story
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