Cox & Palmer Island Literary Awards, P.E.I. Book Awards celebrate Island authors

Aspiring writers shared the stage with their published role models over the weekend in a joint presentation of the Cox & Palmer Island Literary Awards and the P.E.I. Book Awards.

The presentations were made Saturday evening at the Mack Theater in Charlottetown with Mainstreet P.E.I. host Karen Mair as the MC. The ceremony capped a week-long Reading Town P.E.I. celebration.

The evening featured the inaugural presentation of the Champion of Reading Award, presented to P.E.I. Literary Allianceexecutive director Jinny Greaves.

Cox & Palmer Island Literary Awards

Maritime Electric Short Story Awards:

• 1st: Ann Winslow.
• 2nd: Suzanne Mills.
• 3rd: Dave Stewart.
• Honourable mentions: Tanya Nicolle MacCallum and Gretha Rose.

Lucy Maud Montgomery P.E.I. Literature for Children Awards:

• 1st: Jason Rogerson.
• 2nd: Shani Gillespie.
• 3rd: Amanda Morrison.
• Honourable mention: Margo Connors

Milton Acorn Poetry Award:

• 1st: Rick Sparkes.
• 2nd: Charity Becker.
• 3rd: Tanya Nicolle MacCallum.

The Guild Creative Non-Fiction Award:

• 1st: Suzanne Mills.
• 2nd: Amanda Morrison.
• 3rd: Sophia Ball.
• Honourable mentions: Kelly Kieran Sampson and Helena Sullivan.

Joseph Sherman Award for Special Contribution to the Literary Arts:

• Gary Ramsay and Trina O'Brien Leggott of the Confederation Centre Public Library.

P.E.I. Book Awards

Non-Fiction:

• Debra Komar for The Bastard of Fort Stikine (Goose Lane Editions).

Fiction:

• Finley Martin for The Dead Letter (Acorn Press).

Poetry:

• David Helwig for Keeping Late Hours (Oberon Press).

Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty Creative Writing Awards for Young People

Young writers were honoured earlier in the day Saturday at a ceremony at The Guild with Island author Patti Larsen as MC.

Early Elementary:

• 1st: Alyson Barrett (Sherwood).
• 2nd: Finn Galaise (Westwood).
• 3rd: Rami Kaboush (Sherwood).

Late Elementary:

• 1st: Seth Dockendorff (homeschooled).
• 2nd: Dana Carmichael (Sherwood).
• 3rd: Isobel Pamela Beardsley (Stratford).
• Honourable mentions: Bella Galaise (Elliot River), Michaela M. Doucette (Stratford), Susan Wu (Stratford), Ashlyn Gamester (Sherwood), Lily Saucier (Sherwood), Lindsay Nelson (Stratford).

Junior Secondary:

• 1st: Fiona Clancey (Queen Charlotte).
• 2nd: Vivian Huang (Queen Charlotte)
• 3rd: Noelle Pettipas (Queen Charlotte)
• Honourable mentions: Berry Genge (Belfast), Chloe Dockendorff (homeschooled), Breanna Mayne (Queen Charlotte), Isabel Wagner (Queen Charlotte), Payton Alexander (Queen Charlotte), Grace Lloyd (Queen Charlotte), Enrique Aburto Arreguin (Queen Charlotte).

Senior Secondary:

• 1st: Tarini Fernando (Charlottetown Rural).
• 2nd: Rose Henbest (Montague).
• 3rd: Joseph Simmonds (homeschooled).
• Honourable mentions: Lilly Hickox (Charlottetown Rural), Caitlin Atkinson (Morell), Lauren Constable (Charlottetown Rural), D. Sebastien Anchikoski (Traditional Learning Academy).

Alex Field of Colonel Gray High School received the Teacher Participation Award.