The Ontario Writers’ Conference presents ongoing writing opportunities and public readings throughout the year in support of writers, readers and the bi-annual Ontario Writers’ Conference.
Presents:
OWC KICK-START WRITING PRIZE
We believe in the importance of encouraging young writers to explore their creativity, strengthen their craft and immerse themselves in the writing community. To this end, we are offering one full scholarship and one partial fellowship to attend our 2010 writers’ conference, plus an opportunity for our winners to read at evening’s Festival of Authors.
GUIDELINES: -
Entries must be in the form of a personal essay and must not exceed 500 words.
- The theme should be in keeping with our slogan: WORD BY WORD.
- Entries must be original, unpublished, not submitted or accepted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, and not entered simultaneously in any other competition. (This includes different “versions” of the same essay.)
- Limit one entry per person.
- Entrants must be attending a post-secondary institution in the province of Ontario.
- Entrants must be between 18 and 26 years of age.
- Entrants must be able to attend the Ontario Writers’ Conference on May 1, 2010.
- THERE IS NO ENTRY FEE FOR THE OWC KICK-START WRITING PRIZE.
Entries will be judged on their originality and sense of craft in the work. Entrants retain all rights to their essays.
HOW TO ENTER: Submit entry as a Word document (.doc), with no identifying details. On a separate page, provide your full name, e-mail address, phone #, age, and name of school.
E-mail entries to: kickstart (at) thewritersconference.com (online submission only).
Send questions to: Sherry Hinman at shinman (at) thewritersconference.com.
IMPORTANT DATES:-
October 1, 2009: Contest opens for submissions.
- November 1, 2009: Contest closes for submissions (at midnight).
- November 30, 2009: Winners will be notified (winners only).
- May 1, 2010: Winners will be announced at the Ontario Writers’ Conference.
PRIZES:
1st Place: (1) Full Scholarship to the 2010 Ontario Writers’ Conference. Value: $210.
2nd Place: (1) Partial Fellowship to the 2010 Ontario Writers’ Conference. ($100 discount on conference registration fee.)
Prizes must be accepted as awarded, are not transferable and are not redeemable for cash. Winners must register for the conference, or workshops will be assigned as available.
The 2010 Ontario Writers’ Conference features a full day of festivities, including continental breakfast, 3 writing workshops, lunch with guest speaker Catherine Gildiner, publishing panel, dinner with guest speaker Robert J. Sawyer and an evening festival of author readings, complete with dessert and cash bar. Registration begins in October and Early Bird discounts will be offered. Visit us at www.thewritersconference.com.
Final judge for Ontario Writers’ Conference Kick-Start Writing Prize
Adrienne Kress
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Adrienne Kress (www.adriennekress.com) or Twitter (@AdrienneKress) is a writer and actress born and raised in Toronto, Canada. It was only natural that Adrienne, the daughter of two high school English teachers, should fall in love with both creating and performing the written word.
She majored in Drama at the age of 11 at the Claude Watson School for the Arts, and continued to follow this path through post-secondary school, graduating summa cum laude from the University of Toronto with an honours BA in theatre.
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She then moved to London England to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and stayed for three years, acting in a variety of productions. Upon her return to Canada, she joined the Tempest Theatre Group, a Shakespearean theatre company, and continued to produce and direct her own work.
Running parallel to her passion for acting was always her passion for writing. In high school, she won the Gordon C Johnson award for her work, and in university she studied with top Canadian playwright Djanet Sears. The play she wrote as a result of that experience, A Weekend in the Country, was performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2004 and in Toronto at the Summerworks Theatre Festival in 2007, to excellent reviews and sold out houses.
Inspired by a trip to the town of Bath, Adrienne wrote Alex and the Ironic Gentleman while living in London, England. Although her first book, Alex, was snapped up almost immediately by publishers around the world – UK/Commonwealth, USA, Italy, Romania, France, Greece, Belgium, Indonesia and Germany – where the translated version of her title reads as Die halsüberkopfundkragen-dramatischabenteuerliche Katastrophenexpedition der Alex Morningside. Seriously.
The sequel to the book, Timothy and the Dragon's Gate, has also been picked up by publishers around the world and was released in the United States, Canada and the UK and Commonwealth in early 2009.
Adrienne is presently living in Toronto where she is continuing her writing, acting and directing careers. She is also one of the founding members of the geektastic website Hardcore Nerdity. www.hardcorenerdity.com |
By entering, entrants agree to abide by the contest rules and the decision of the judges appointed by the ONTARIO WRITERS’ CONFERENCE, whose decisions are final and conclusive on all matters. The ONTARIO WRITERS’ CONFERENCE does not share, trade, sell or otherwise distribute personal information submitted in relation to this contest. This contest may be amended, suspended, terminated, postponed or withdrawn for any reason at the sole discretion of the ONTARIO WRITERS’ CONFERENCE.
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