The winners of the Bachelor of Creative and Professional Writing’s (BCPW) annual Flash Fiction Contest have been announced and two of them are planning on attending Humber in the fall.

High school students from across the province entered the contest and the winners were selected by writers Carleigh Baker, David James Brock and Meaghan Strimas, who’s also the BCPW program coordinator and a professor for the program.

Small Things by Martingrove Collegiate Institute student Nathan Tsui took first place.

“I am incredibly grateful for the honour,” Tsui said when he learned he placed first in the contest.

Godspeed by Craig Kielburger Secondary School student Jaydaa Ali-Wilkinson was second while The Sun by Sacred Heart Catholic School student Nancy Efthimiou was third. The Red Rose by Fort Erie International Academy student Jasper Xu was fourth while The Mask by Loretto College School student Tiana Maria Da Costa was fifth.

Efthimiou and Da Costa are enrolled in the BCPW program this fall.

“Placing third in this contest has been an experience I never thought would happen,” said Efthimiou. “This experience has been a first for me ­– I have never entered my work in anything before. As someone looking to have a career in the writing industry, this experience allowed me to share my writing in a way I only expected to happen in the far-off future.”

“Placing in the contest is meaningful to me as it is an incredible way of building my portfolio and is a great accomplishment. I feel honoured to have been a part of this contest,” added Da Costa.

The winners receive $750 for first, $500 for second, $350 for third, $250 for fourth and $150 for fifth. All five will have their work showcased in a special online supplement of Arrival Magazine.

The province-wide contest was created by Strimas to further build the Humber writing community by offering publication opportunities to emerging writers.
 
The BCPW program is designed to allow students to transform their passion for writing into a fulfilling career. As students develop creative writing skills that strengthen their storytelling abilities, they also learn how to craft targeted messages for social media platforms, manage creative projects and write and edit web copy.

It also includes an industry-connected work placement and the benefit of one-on-one mentorship in the final semester.

Find out more by visiting the BCPW program website.