Catherine Austen's Blog, page 11

Thieving Squirrels in Fall 2020

Good things come to those who wait.

[image error]Me as a squirrel-taming kid. (My sister cut my bangs.)

Years ago, I wrote a story about a clever squirrel who grew tired of waiting for a daily handout, so she decided to steal a whole bag of peanuts, along with the little girl carrying it.

I have a smidge more patience than that squirrel, and today it has been rewarded. I’ve just seen Sean Cassidy‘s first finished illustration for our picture book, The Squirrels Stole my Sister — coming out next fall with Fitzhenry & Whiteside — and it’s gorgeous.

My text for The Squirrels Stole my Sister was acquired by Fitzhenry and Whiteside back in 2013 (by their former Children’s Fiction Editor, Christie Harkin, who is now a consultant publisher and freelance editor). Its originally planned publication date was postponed when the book was orphaned. I wasn’t sure if it would ever be adopted again, as the text was over-long (almost 1000 words) and over-aged (better suited to fourth graders than kindergarteners), and I knew it would take a special eye to see the diamond in the rough.

So when Sharon Fitzhenry, the publisher, called me this August, I was expecting another delay. What a happy surprise to hear that the book is scheduled for publication next fall and  Sean Cassidy is illustrating it. But I needed to cut several hundred words in a hurry — so Sharon put me and Sean in touch and let the two of us work out the revision together.

That’s not usually how picture books are made. Usually, the text is finalized first, then the illustrator creates the artwork. We tried it differently. The story came first, in the form of my original text, but the artist’s vision came next. I wrote the final text — half the length of the original, and much sweeter and gentler and suited to a picture-book audience — with Sean’s vision (and his rough layouts and advice) to guide me. What a nice way to work!

It was so easy to cut the text while I had Sean’s layout of the story in hand. I could cut entire paragraphs that he’d told in pictures. What was a tongue-in-cheek tale for middle graders has become an adorable picture book for the very young.

So I’m thrilled that this book was so long in development. Good things came to one who waited.

That last paragraph makes it sound like the book is all done. Uh, no. My part is all done. Sean has months of work ahead to complete the finished art before winter ends. (He’ll be like a little squirrel, tucked in his nest with his store of paints.)

[image error] Some of Sean Cassidy’s illustrations featured on his website

But I know he’s up to the task. He’s a seasoned illustrator for Fitzhenry and Whiteside, with many award-winning books to his credit, most of them featuring adorable animals. The Squirrels Stole my Sister is well aligned with his specialties. I’m so happy to be working with him.

Check out Sean Cassidy’s website here. (It includes drawing lessons. For drawing animals, he says: “I always start with a circle. This is where the brain goes…”) And check out Sean’s roster of books at Fitzhenry and Whiteside here.

And that’s what’s new for me this Wednesday. Expect more updates on the picture book as next fall approaches, and hopefully a few squirrel posts and pictures in the meantime. I might have to start a “Squirrels on Sunday” category for this blog. (Possibly sub-headed “Not a recipe site.”)

Many thanks to Jorge Guillen for his lovely squirrel portrait on Pixabay, cropped in the banner above.

Watch out for thieving Squirrels in Fall 2020

Good things come to those who wait.

[image error]Me as a squirrel-taming kid. (My sister cut my bangs.)

Years ago, I wrote a story about a clever squirrel who grew tired of waiting for a daily handout, so she decided to steal a whole bag of peanuts, along with the little girl carrying it.

I have a smidge more patience than that squirrel, and today it has been rewarded. I’ve just seen Sean Cassidy‘s first finished illustration for our picture book, The Squirrels Stole my Sister — coming out next fall with Fitzhenry & Whiteside — and it’s gorgeous.

My text for The Squirrels Stole my Sister was acquired by Fitzhenry and Whiteside back in 2013 (by their former Children’s Fiction Editor, Christie Harkin, who is now a consultant publisher and freelance editor). Its originally planned publication date was postponed when the book was orphaned. I wasn’t sure if it would ever be adopted again, as the text was over-long (almost 1000 words) and over-aged (better suited to fourth graders than kindergarteners), and I knew it would take a special eye to see the diamond in the rough.

So when Sharon Fitzhenry, the publisher, called me this August, I was expecting another delay. What a happy surprise to hear that the book is scheduled for publication next fall and  Sean Cassidy is illustrating it. But I needed to cut several hundred words in a hurry — so Sharon put me and Sean in touch and let the two of us work out the revision together.

That’s not usually how picture books are made. Usually, the text is finalized first, then the illustrator creates the artwork. We tried it differently. The story came first, in the form of my original text, but the artist’s vision came next. I wrote the final text — half the length of the original, and much sweeter and gentler and suited to a picture-book audience — with Sean’s vision (and his rough layouts and advice) to guide me. What a nice way to work!

It was so easy to cut the text while I had Sean’s layout of the story in hand. I could cut entire paragraphs that he’d told in pictures. What was a tongue-in-cheek tale for middle graders has become an adorable picture book for the very young.

So I’m thrilled that this book was so long in development. Good things came to one who waited.

That last paragraph makes it sound like the book is all done. Uh, no. My part is all done. Sean has months of work ahead to complete the finished art before winter ends. (He’ll be like a little squirrel, tucked in his nest with his store of paints.)

[image error] Some of Sean Cassidy’s illustrations featured on his website

But I know he’s up to the task. He’s a seasoned illustrator for Fitzhenry and Whiteside, with many award-winning books to his credit, most of them featuring adorable animals. The Squirrels Stole my Sister is well aligned with his specialties. I’m so happy to be working with him.

Check out Sean Cassidy’s website here. (It includes drawing lessons. For drawing animals, he says: “I always start with a circle. This is where the brain goes…”) And check out Sean’s roster of books at Fitzhenry and Whiteside here.

And that’s what’s new for me this Wednesday. Expect more updates on the picture book as next fall approaches, and hopefully a few squirrel posts and pictures in the meantime. I might have to start a “Squirrels on Sunday” category for this blog. (Possibly sub-headed “Not a recipe site.”)

Many thanks to Jorge Guillen for his lovely squirrel portrait on Pixabay, cropped in the banner above.

Funding Author Visits

Financial assistance for author visits is available throughout Canada, thanks to the generous support of our governments working with the literary non-profit community.

A couple of key funding programs have looming deadlines — so if you would like to invite me or another author into your school, library, or public venue for a presentation or writing workshop next year,  check out these potential sources of financial assistance, and apply soon.

If you are in an Ontario school, you can get financial assistance for an author visit through the Writers in the Schools Program administered by the Writers’ Union of Canada. (Visiting authors must be WUC members.)  Applications for Fall and Winter sessions are being accepted now, until June 14th.
If you’re in a Northern Ontario school, assistance to help fund transportation, accommodation, and multiple school visits may be available through the Writers in the Schools Northern Ontario Program. (Visiting authors must be WUC members.)  Applications are accepted now through January 15th.
If you’re in Quebec at an elementary or secondary school, you can get full funding for an author visit through the Culture in the Schools program of the Quebec Ministry of Education. (Visiting authors must be listed in the Ministry’s  Répertoire des ressources culture-éducation. ) Applications must be submitted in advance, generally in early fall.
If you’re at a Quebec CEGEP, apply for funding through the Writers in CEGEPs Program administered by the Quebec Writers’ Federation.  Applications must be submitted at least one month before the scheduled visit.
If you’d like a visit to your library, bookstore, or other non-school venue anywhere in Canada, funding assistance could be available from the Canada Council for the Arts through the National Public Readings Program administered by the Writers’ Union of Canada.  Applications for Fall and Winter sessions will be accepted from May 23-July 15.

Wherever you may be, if you want me to come join you for an hour or a day, feel free to contact me  to arrange a workshop or presentation. Check out my Workshops page for more information.

MASC Festival 2019

[image error] Me at MASC, about to read from 28 Tricks for a Fearless Grade 6

I had a great time at this year’s MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Festival in Ottawa. The 3-day event was held at the Canadian Aviation Museum, where over 450 children aged 9-12 came from around the region — some of them getting up at 5:00 a.m. to arrive in time! — to enjoy a day of hands-on workshops with professionals from Canada’s children’s literature community.

I was one of 6 presenters this year, giving morning and afternoon workshops every day alongside authors Cary Fagan, Karen Krossing, and David A. Robertson, and artists Britt Wilson and Soyeon Kim. (Read the bios of all of these MASC presenters here.)

You can watch a few of us give readings and talks on the YouTube channel of the sponsor, Eagle Professional Resources Inc. Check out my reading from 28 Tricks for a Fearless Grade 6. (Be warned: there is singing.)

Kids in my workshops built fictional characters, showed them in action individually, then mashed them together in a team plot-building exercise that got loud and silly and impressively imaginative. It was so much fun.

[image error]Me at MASC 2019 (Photo by Bill Juillette)

If you’re curious about the Festival — or if you attended and are already feeling nostalgiac — check out the photos on the MASC Facebook Page. (Thanks to photographer Bill Juillette.)

If you want to attend next year, check out MASC online and keep your ears open for the registration call next fall. There will be a whole new batch of professional authors and illustrators from across Canada coming to Ottawa next Spring, ready to expand the minds and improve the skills of another 450 kids through a day of fun workshops.

It’s a special event that’s been going on for more than twenty years, and it was an honour to be a part of it in 2019. My favourite of the all the great moments of the three days was at the book signing at day’s end when a little girl, bright eyed and smiling, shouted, “You inspired me so much!” Can’t beat that.

MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Festival 2019

I had a great time at this year’s MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Festival in Ottawa. The 3-day event was held at the Canadian Aviation Museum, where over 450 children aged 9-12 came from around the region — some of them getting up at 5:00 a.m. to arrive in time! — to enjoy a day of hands-on workshops with professionals from Canada’s children’s literature community.

I was one of 6 presenters this year, giving morning and afternoon workshops every day alongside authors Cary Fagan, Karen Krossing, and David A. Robertson, and artists Britt Wilson and Soyeon Kim. (Read the bios of all of these MASC presenters here.)

Kids in my workshops built fictional characters, showed them in action individually, then mashed them together in a team plot-building exercise that got loud and silly and impressively imaginative. It was so much fun.

[image error]Me at MASC 2019 (Photo by Bill Juillette)

If you’re curious about the Festival — or if you attended and are already feeling nostalgiac — check out the photos on the MASC Facebook Page. (Thanks to photographer Bill Juillette.)

If you want to attend next year, check out MASC online and keep your ears open for the registration call next fall. There will be a whole new batch of professional authors and illustrators from across Canada coming to Ottawa next Spring, ready to expand the minds and improve the skills of another 450 kids through a day of fun workshops.

It’s a special event that’s been going on for more than twenty years, and it was an honour to be a part of it in 2019. My favourite of the all the great moments of the three days was at the book signing at day’s end when a little girl, bright eyed and smiling, shouted, “You inspired me so much!” Can’t beat that.

MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Festival 2019

I’m ready for the MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Festival taking place in Ottawa April 9-11. I’ll be leading workshops with keen young writers coming to town from elementary schools across eastern Ontario and western Quebec.

This annual event draws hosting authors and illustrators from across the country. This year’s festival will feature authors Cary Fagan, Karen Krossing, David A Robertson, and me, Catherine Austen, and illustrators Soyeon Kim and Britt Wilson.

This is a chance for kids who love to write and draw — or those who want to find out if they might love it — to spend an entire day in creative workshops with like-minded artists and authors.

[image error]Great place for creativity!

The Festival will be held at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum, a gorgeous venue beside the Ottawa River at the Rockcliffe Flying Club. This will be my third time as a workshop host (being local has its advantages) and I know I’m in for an exciting, busy, inspiring week.

The Festival is always a sold-out event, so it’s too late to sign up for this year. But if a day of writing or illustration workshops sounds up your alley, visit the MASC website and keep abreast of the call for registrations to next year’s Festival. (If you’re already signed up for this year, you can attend next year, too — there will be a fresh batch of authors and illustrators to lead the workshops in 2020.)

I can’t wait!

 

Awesome Authors 2019 – Decision Time

[image error] There are so many more awesome entries than can be included in the final Pot-pourri collection.

Every year, the Ottawa Public Library holds a youth writing contest for which hundreds of local kids write stories, poems, and comics. The winners and honourable mentions are published in the annual anthology, Pot-pourri. But the contest’s title — Awesome Authors — applies to all of those who enter.

The contest deadline for 2019 has passed (it was February 19th — if you are still thinking about entering, hold that thought till next year), and the entries are currently in the hands of the judges, awaiting final decisions.

I’m one of those judges. I’ve been in a judge for the Awesome Authors English Short Fiction category for the past few years (and hopefully for a few more to come). This year, I considered 136 stories written by kids aged 9-12.

Over the past couple of weeks, I winnowed the original entries down to my top 20. (This was not easy.) The Top 20 are all outstanding. Really, they all deserve to be in next year’s Pot-pourri. But alas, there is no room.

This week, I chopped the pile in half, leaving only my Top Ten. (That was painful. I had to put on a cruel expression and shove all those endearing characters off the table.) And now I must make the final cut to my Top 6. (The rules are that I must choose 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners, plus up to 3 honourable mentions. “Up to,” not “at least.” Not, alas, 7 honourable mentions. Nope. Just 3.)

I have the first and second place winners decided, and I’m hedging between two others for 3rd place and Honourable Mention. That leaves 2 spots for other Honourable Mentions — and 6 highly honour-worthy stories to squish into those spots.

Argh, how to choose?!?

Actually, I have a set of criteria by which I rate the stories. (It includes some standard categories, like characterization and originality and mastery of language, plus the critical “just-something-special-about-it-that’s-hard-to-articulate” category.)  Still, all of my top 10 rate high, and choosing among them is like choosing apples or oranges. How to compare a story that is beautifully written but simple in plot, to one that has a clever and delightful plot but less skill with words? Which is “better”?

And the hardest question of all: How can I leave out one of my faves just because another is, well, “better”?

Being a judge, you have to evaluate a story on its merits, not your personal tastes. Say it was a vocal contest. Perhaps I’d rather listen to Conor Oberst than Celine Dion, but if I had to judge which is the “better” voice, well….

Sigh. My favourite stories rarely take first place. (Last year’s favourite in the teen category got an Honourable Mention. One of this year’s faves won’t make it in the final 6 at all.)

The hardest thing is knowing that some of the 14 kids whose stories were in my top 20 but won’t be in the final 6 , might think that not “winning” means their stories weren’t good. Oh, they are so wrong. They are so good.

[image error]The Awesome Authors Awards are held ever spring at Centrepointe Theatre.

I can’t give any details, of course. The winners of all the Awesome Authors categories will be announced on April 13th. The 9-12 category will be announced at an afternoon celebration, and the teens will be announced at an evening event. There will be door prizes as well as author prizes, along with other entertainments. I’ll keep you posted on the venue details.

I hope to see you at the award ceremony. Whether your name is called or not, we’ll celebrate your awesome author-ness.

And remember, Awesome Authors is an annual event. The contest will run again in 2020. So if you are between 9 and 18 and you like to write poems, stories, or comics in either (or both) English or French, it’s time you entered. Next year’s contest will open in December.

Young Writers Workshop: Setting Exercise

I’ll be giving a writing workshop tomorrow at the Carlingwood Library to help kids aged 9-12 prepare their stories for the Ottawa Public Library’s Awesome Authors Contest.

We’ll do two story-building exercises: one on Character, and one on Setting.

For those who can’t be there, here is my Setting handout, with a short version of my talk to accompany it. Feel free to use it with your group of young writers.

 

“Jane stepped out of her house.”

Perhaps that’s the first line of your story. The reader is with you, picturing something like this.

[image error]

But if this is the house that Jane stepped out of…

[image error]

… you’re going to need to write more than “her house.”

What are some words you could use to describe this house?

Some adjectives: a tiny tumbledown house, a rusty old house.

Some nouns: a shack, a dump, a hovel.

And what if Jane stumbled or crawled or slithered out of her hovel? Those verbs paint a different picture still.

Writing is making pictures in a reader’s mind. Every word adds to the picture.

Think about time

[image error]

In creating a setting, first ask: When does your story take place?

What’s the historic time? (2019? 1600? 2840?)
What’s the calendar time? (Ottawa is a completely different setting in summer or in winter.)
What’s the clock time? (Your kitchen is a different place at 7:00 p.m. during a dinner party vs. 3:00 a.m. in a thunderstorm when you’re alone, searching for a flashlight.)

A good story includes a few details that reflect the times. This is all the more important if your story is set any time but now. A jukebox is a nice setting detail in this story set in 1956:

“She walked toward the gleaming brown jukebox and pressed B4. She swayed her head to the tune as ‘Buttons and Bows’ came dancing out of the machine.” (from “A Brother Lost” by Leeah Sullivan in Pot-pourri 2017)

Think about place

[image error]

“Place” in a story can be an entire galaxy or a single classroom.

Setting includes the culture of a place—its politics, its architecture—and the nature of a place—its weather, its wildlife. But don’t feel like you have to write an entire history and travel guide. Just let time and place inform your story.

That means being factual. If your story is set near the equator, don’t have the sun still shining at 8:00 p.m.

If you’ve been to an unusual place — a foreign country, a submarine, a racetrack — and you know what it’s like and how people behave there, consider it as a setting for your story. Readers appreciate authentic details.

Think Mood

If you are writing a story about a boy shipped off to his uncle’s for the summer, and this is where he arrives…

[image error]

… your setting immediately builds a mood of menace.

But you don’t have to have a creepy castle to build tension. You can build mood with any sensory details that trigger emotion A creak on the stairs. A knife block on the kitchen counter with one knife missing. Eek!

And you don’t have to tell the reader your setting details directly. Even better is to have your character react to those details — as in this story, where we are told it’s chilly without having to be told:

“William pulled the cloak tighter around his shoulders to keep warm. The wind whistled through the trees and the crickets had begun their sweetly-sad melody…” (from “At the Water’s Edge” by Kate Calhoun in Pot-pourri 2017)

Select a few precise details

Don’t overload the reader with information.

“Every day at four o’clock, Miss Mildred held court in her rocking chair in front of the wide-eyed huddle of children clustered on the green carpet.” (from “The Last Storytime” by Joy Liu in Pot-pourri 2017)

We don’t need a list of all the furniture in that library; the rocking chair and the green carpet are enough.

Open your ears and nostrils

Humans are visual creatures, but if you can add some of the other senses — the feel of a carpet on bare feet, the tinkle of piano keys in a distant room – you will build a richer setting.

[image error]

What is one visual detail to describe this abandoned house? What might it smell like? What sounds might be here?

And remember character when you describe setting. To me, this house is creepy. But if your character is a mouse, or a ghost, or a photographer of abandoned houses, this setting might be a happy one.

Now build your setting

You can use this handout to help create your setting.

[image error]

Draw a picture, make a map, or write a description of where your story takes place. Give it a name, a time, and a location. Then capture sensory details to make it come alive.

You can describe a real place, or invent one, or expand on the setting in a story you’ve already begun. If you’re stuck, describe one of the houses in this post, or your bedroom at night during an alien invasion, or a dog’s view of your yard.

Share your settings in a workshop. Ask questions about them. Put characters in them. Use your setting descriptions to inform your scenes as you write your story.

What is Pot-Pourri?

[image error]

The exemplary excerpts in this post are from stories by writers aged 9-14 published in Pot-pourri 2017.

Pot-pourri is an annual anthology of student writing published by the Friends of the Ottawa Pubic Library Association. This year’s Awesome Authors winners and honourable mentions will appear in Pot-pourri 2019.

So write your best story. (With the best setting.)

Awesome Authors 2019 – Submission Call

It’s time for all the young writers in Ottawa to get their awesome on!

The Ottawa Public Library wants you to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write a poem, short story, or comic (or all three!) to enter into the OPL’s 2019 Awesome Authors youth writing contest.

The contest is open to Ottawa students aged 9-18. There will be two age categories this year: 9-12 and 13-18. There are two language categories: English and French. And three genres: poems, short stories, and comics. (You can enter one piece in each genre in each language, if you’re an extra-awesome author, for a total of six submissions!)

You’ll find all the important rules here on the OPL website.

I’ll be judging the English fiction submissions in the 9-12 age category — and I can’t wait to read your stuff!

[image error]Winners and honourable mentions will be published in next year’s Pot-pourri anthology. There’s also a cash prize and tons of glory. So why not give it a try?

You have lots of time to get your entry ready. The contest deadline is February 19, 2019. Winners will be announced in April at a super-fun ceremony in Centrepointe Theatre. (Check out my post about last year’s awards.)

If you’re not sure where to start, come to an awesome writing workshop in the new year. They’re absolutely free, thanks to Ottawa’s awesome public library system. Follow the links below to register in advance. (I hope to see some of you at my short story workshop!) Here’s the schedule:

Awesome Author Writing Workshops for ages 9 -12:

Poetry Workshop with Apollo the Child – Ages 9 to 12 (January 25th)

Short Story Workshop with Catherine Austen – Ages 9 to 12 (February 9th)

Comics Workshop with author Éric Péladeau – Ages 9 to 12 (February 9th)

Atelier d’écriture avec Karine Perron – les 9 à 12 (26 janvier)

Awesome Author Writing Workshops for ages 13 -18:

Poetry Workshop with Apollo the Child – Ages 13 to 18 (February 7th)

Short Story Workshop with Sarah Raughley – Ages 13 to 18 (February 9th)

Comics Workshop with Eric Péladeau – Ages 13 to 18 (February 9th)

Atelier d’écriture avec Karine Perron – les 13 à 18 (2 fevrier)

The contest is sponsored by FOPLA, the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association.(They’re the wonderful people who publish Pot-pourri.) 

The 2018 Pot-Pourri anthology, featuring last year’s Awesome Authors winners and honourable mentions, is available for purchase from FOPLA. It’s full of great poems, stories, and comics, and it makes a great Christmas gift for any young writers and readers on your list. Buy a copy today, or look for a copy to borrow from your local OPL branch. (I am a little biased because I’ve been the English editor of Pot-pourri for the past couple of years — but it’s honestly amazing. There are so many good pieces in this one!)

Pass on the contest details to Ottawa youth that you know. They may not even know they’re awesome authors yet — this contest might be just the encouragement they need to get started.

Good luck!

Awesome Authors 2019

It’s time for all the young writers in Ottawa to get their awesome on!

The Ottawa Public Library wants you to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write a poem, short story, or comic (or all three!) to enter into the OPL’s 2019 Awesome Authors youth writing contest.

The contest is open to Ottawa students aged 9-18. There will be two age categories this year: 9-12 and 13-18. There are two language categories: English and French. And three genres: poems, short stories, and comics. (You can enter one piece in each genre in each language, if you’re an extra-awesome author, for a total of six submissions!)

You’ll find all the important rules here on the OPL website.

I’ll be judging the English fiction submissions in the 9-12 age category — and I can’t wait to read your stuff!

[image error]Winners and honourable mentions will be published in next year’s Pot-pourri anthology. There’s also a cash prize and tons of glory. So why not give it a try?

You have lots of time to get your entry ready. The contest deadline is February 19, 2019. Winners will be announced in April at a super-fun ceremony in Centrepointe Theatre. (Check out my post about last year’s awards.)

If you’re not sure where to start, come to an awesome writing workshop in the new year. They’re absolutely free, thanks to Ottawa’s awesome public library system. Follow the links below to register in advance. (I hope to see some of you at my short story workshop!) Here’s the schedule:

Awesome Author Writing Workshops for ages 9 -12:

Poetry Workshop with Apollo the Child – Ages 9 to 12 (January 25th)

Short Story Workshop with Catherine Austen – Ages 9 to 12 (February 9th)

Comics Workshop with author Éric Péladeau – Ages 9 to 12 (February 9th)

Atelier d’écriture avec Karine Perron – les 9 à 12 (26 janvier)

Awesome Author Writing Workshops for ages 13 -18:

Poetry Workshop with Apollo the Child – Ages 13 to 18 (February 7th)

Short Story Workshop with Sarah Raughley – Ages 13 to 18 (February 9th)

Comics Workshop with Eric Péladeau – Ages 13 to 18 (February 9th)

Atelier d’écriture avec Karine Perron – les 13 à 18 (2 fevrier)

The contest is sponsored by FOPLA, the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association.(They’re the wonderful people who publish Pot-pourri.) 

The 2018 Pot-Pourri anthology, featuring last year’s Awesome Authors winners and honourable mentions, is available for purchase from FOPLA. It’s full of great poems, stories, and comics, and it makes a great Christmas gift for any young writers and readers on your list. Buy a copy today, or look for a copy to borrow from your local OPL branch. (I am a little biased because I’ve been the English editor of Pot-pourri for the past couple of years — but it’s honestly amazing. There are so many good pieces in this one!)

Pass on the contest details to Ottawa youth that you know. They may not even know they’re awesome authors yet — this contest might be just the encouragement they need to get started.

Good luck!