The Homer Council on the Arts today announced the winners of the 22nd annual Kenai Peninsula Writers Contest. Awards will be presented by writer Tom Kizzia starting at 7 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Homer Council on the Arts. Selected winners will do short readings. Following the ceremony at 8 p.m. is a presentation by Homer performing artist Lynne Roff, “Creativity, Complexity and Consciousness in the Performing Arts.”
Of the contest, nonfiction judge Julie Riddle said, “I thoroughly enjoyed reading the entries multiple times and thinking about them over a period of days. It was a challenge to have to choose the winners. I also really enjoyed learning about the authors’ unique experiences, and was moved by many of the submissions.”
Homer Council on the Arts Writers
Contest Winners, Honorable Mentions
Grades K-3, Fiction
Winner: Alana Houlihan, “My Made up Life”
Honorable Mention: Alana Houlihan, “The Seven Seas”
Honorable Mention: Ben Dickson, “Ros: A Hawk’s Tale”
Grades K-3, Nonfiction
Winner: Bailey Young, “The Trip to the Beach”
Honorable Mention: Laura Davoudlarian, “The Stupid Dogs”
Grades K-3, Poetry
Winner: Hope Stearns, “My Best Friend Elena”
Honorable Mention: Maggie Mae Gaylord, “Sweet and Sour”
Honorable Mention: Bea Strobel, “Seeing Nothing”
Grades 4-6, Nonfiction
Winner: Ethan Pitzman, “Silver Slaying”
Honorable Mention: Katlyn Vogl, “Flip, Jump & Dive”
Honorable Mention: Aiyana Cline, “Siblings 10”
Honorable Mention: Brenden Boehme, “Harbor Seals: Water Wraiths of the Sea”
Grades 4-6, Fiction
Winner: Julius Woods, “Barry”
Honorable Mention: Phinny Weston, “Why the Wolf Howls at Night”
Grades 4-6, Poetry
Winner: Xander Kulhanek, “Wolf Canyon Walk”
Honorable Mention: Cameron Blaine, “Fantasy”
Honorable Mention: Cassidy Wylde, “Otter Nightmare”
Grades 7-9, Fiction
Winner: Chloe Pleznac, “The Wolf Child”
Honorable Mention: Jaylen Uhls, “The Awakening”
Grades 7-9, Nonfiction
Winner: Audrey Russell, “The Aftermath: A Slightly Bitter Memoir”
Honorable Mention: Jamie Yerkes, “Commercial Fishing”
Grades 7-9, Poetry
Winner: Summer R. McGuire, “I RAN”
Honorable Mention: Briea Gregory, “Hearts in Frost”
Grades 10-12, Fiction
Winner: Hannah Pothast, “Race Day”
Honorable Mention: Larsen Rose Fellows, “Pumping Perfection’s Blood”
Grades 10-12, NonFiction
Winner: Katherine Dolma, “Sunbaked Spanglish”
Honorable Mention: Molly Mitchell, “Deep in the Sagebrush”
Grades 10-12, Poetry
Winner: Hannah Pothast, “The Things I Carry”
Adult, Fiction
Winner: Taneeka Hansen, “Opaque”
Honorable Mention: Benn Levine, “Sasha is Dead”
Adult, Nonfiction
Winner: Georgiann (Anni) Paynter, “Easy Street”
Honorable Mention: Mairiis Kilcher, “The Writer’s Contest”
Honorable Mention: Lorraine Williams, “The Little Diorama”
Adult, Poetry
Winner: J. Hughes, “How long have you been here?”
Honorable Mention: Nancy M. Chastain, “Who He Was”
Honorable Mention: Dan Crane, “Old Man Larsen”
Honorable Mention: Ryan Dowling, “Poetry and Sleep”
Tom Kizzia presents awards at 7 p.m. Feb. 15 at HCOA.
