There was a surprise, when it came time for special guest, author and judge of the Seepe Walters short story contest Joel A. Sutherland to read an excerpt from the winning story in the Senior category (Grades 9-12).
Actors with South Simcoe Theatre joined the dignitaries on stage, at the Lakshore branch of the Innisfil ideaLab, and performed part of A Hilarious Excursion, the winning short story by Grade 12 student Elizaveta Slezkina.
It was a highlight of the 19th annual short story contest, open to students in Innisfil schools in Grades 3 through 12. Sponsored by The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library and the Friends of the Innisfil Public Library, it was renamed the ‘Seepe Walters Short Story contest’ in 2004, in memory of historian, journalist, teacher, passionate supporter of the community and co-founder of the Friends of the Innisfil Library, Seepe Walters.
Every year, students are encouraged to draw on their own imagination, to write and submit an original short story. As part of the process, a well-known children’s author is invited into the classrooms, to inspire the kids, and to judge the entries.
This year’s author-in-the-classroom was Sutherland, a two-time Silver Birch award-winner for his non-fiction Haunted Canada series. Sutherland visited nine schools in three days, reading from his books, and connecting with students, encouraging them to unleash their creativity.
It worked. This year, there were 135 entries in the three categories – Junior, Intermediate and Senior – and, said Sutherland, “I read and loved them all.”
On Friday night, the awards were handed out to the winners – five in each category. Each winner received a plaque, certificates, and a gift card; the overall winner, of the best story submitted, received a special plaque and a cheque for $500.
To get things started, Sutherland invited the guests – many of them siblings and family members of the young writers - to pick up the “washer on a string” placed on every seat, and use their minds to try to move the dangling washer “from left to right… front to back… in circles.”
“Power of the mind,” Sutherland said. “Our brains are amazing tools.” He explained the “advanced séance technique” through science: the brain unknowingly influences tiny muscles in the fingers, to move the string in the direction wanted.
“I say to writers, when I hold a writers’ workshop, if you can get a washer at the end of a string to move, then you can write a story,” he said.
Winners in each category were called up to receive congratulations and their prizes from Sutherland, Library Board vice chair Wendy van Stratten, President of the Friends of the Library Sue Bennett, Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin, MPP Andrea Khanjin, and Brandon Vieira, representing MP John Brassard.
In the Jr. category (Grades 3-6), Grade 5 students Lucas McKay and Gianluca Chisholm placed 5th, Sanoja Srikanthan (Grade 6) was fourth, Emily James (Grade 4) was third, Laura Forgrave (Grade 6) was second, and Hannah Wang (Grade 6) placed first with her story, Wings.
In Intermediate (Grades 7-8), Julia Gillespie (Grade 7) was 5th, Carys McQueen (Grade 7) 4th, Topper McGinty (Grade 7) placed 3rd, Aisha Akinade (Grade 7) placed 2nd, and in first place was Riley Ma (Grade 8) with her short story, Perspectives.
In the Senior category (Grades 9-12), Grade 9 student Nathaniel Norton was fifth, Grade 12 student Christina Miskiv placed fourth, Grade 9 student Emma Duval was third, Grade 10 student Lauren Griffin second, and in first place, Grade 12 student Elizaveta Slezkina, with her story, A Hilarious Excursion.
After the performance by South Simcoe Theatre, it was no surprise that Slezina also won the $500 for best story overall.
Mayor Dollin told the young writers, “I’m so excited to be here this evening with you. It is so wonderful to see so many creative young minds in one place.”
She added, “I’m amazed at your bravery, talent and creativity… It takes courage to submit your creation to be judged.”
Dollin promised to get the autograph of every young winning author. “Someday I’ll be able to say, I knew them way back then.”
Peter Ferraro, grandson of Seepe Walters, also attended the awards ceremony, and thanked the library and Friends for recognizing his grandmother’s “commitment to the community and dedication to the library.”
He presented the Friends of the Library with a donation of $1,000 on behalf of the family, and an additional gift of $500 from his employer.
“Talent, perseverance and luck,” Sutherland told the young authors. “You only need two of the three to be a successful writer.” But he added that they didn’t have to worry: “You already have talent.”
