In 2018, over 70 young authors submitted original stories to PPLD's Teen Fiction Writing Contest. Each story began with the sentence "The letter could not have come at a worse time", which was chosen by New York Times best-selling author Sandya Menon. The young authors in our community took this common beginning and crafted a huge variety of stories that tackled big topics, such as: grief and loss, growing up, building a better world, and the weight of responsibility.
Winners were chosen through anonymous scoring by a group of dedicated PPLD staff members. The three top stories in both the middle school and high school categories were announced at the awards ceremony on July 29, 2018, and will be published in a digital anthology in September.
Middle School Winners:
- 1st Place: "A Girl, A Thousand Shirtwaists, and a Fire" by Molly Heinold
- 2nd Place: "Dear Louella" by Emma Reeves
- 3rd Place: "Elenora" Claire Deeds
High School Winners:
- 1st Place: "The Apiary" by Alexandra Wollinka
- 2nd Place: "An Impossible Choice" by Sophia Mayhugh
- 3rd Place: "A Work-Ruled Vacation" by Shanleigh Glide
Congratulations to all the winners and entrants! Thank you to all the young authors who entered and to those who encouraged them to put their ideas on paper. If you were unable to attend the awards ceremony, your judge's feedback sheet and participation certificate have been mailed to the address listed on your submission form.