After a hugely successful first event, the Okanagan Young Writers鈥� Awards (OYWAs) are back.

The contest was founded to promote excellence in writing at the high school and early college level, and is open to any youth attending school or university from the ages of 14-19.

A $200 cash scholarship prize will be awarded for each of the two major categories: fiction (a short story or one-act play) and poetry (a group of three poems).

Last year featured more than 50 submissions from 20 different schools, with Emma Unruh taking top prize in poetry and Jeremy Bader winning the fiction category.

鈥淲e were so impressed with the level of talent throughout the region last year,鈥� said OYWA chairperson Jadon Dick. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 wait to showcase the next generation of Okanagan writers with this year鈥檚 competition.鈥�

In addition to a cash scholarship for the winners provided by The Morning Star, the OYWAs feature three prizes for short list and runners up.

First, the top three entrants to each category receive medallions provided by The Trophy Den.

There is also a public reading hosted by Okanagan Publishing House.

Finally, winners and honorable mentions will be published in print and digitally by Okanagan Publishing House in the Best of the 2023 OYWA Collection, with proceeds from sales going to next year鈥檚 competition.

The OYWA judging panel features some of the region鈥檚 finest, including Okanagan College鈥檚 Kerry Gilbert (Vernon campus), Jeremy Beaulne (Penticton) and Jeremy Lanaway (Vernon campus), Okanagan Publishing House editor-in-chief Dick and local published poet Robert Humphries.

There is no submission cost for the OWYA, an intentional step to increase accessibility to the contest.

Entry deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 15 at

Finalists will be announced Dec. 9 and winners on Dec. 16.

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