Results of the 2019 Dreamers Writing Contest
Congratulations to the winners of the Dreamers Writing Contest: Stories of Migration, Sense of Place and Home.
In the United States, Dreamers is a term used to describe undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children. Although our use of Dreamers is different (you can read all about our naming here), this contest honours the term “Dreamers” as it applies to migration, place and home.
For this contest, we requested submissions of poems, stories, essays or articles focused on migration and/or a sense of place, of home or lack of, and empathy to the plight of migrants around the world. Writers did not need to be a migrant to enter the contest and they were free to interpret the theme of the contest in any way, as long as they kept the overarching theme of Dreamers Creative Writing in mind – that of heartfelt stories.
Selecting just one winner from among all the entries was difficult. It came down to two entries for the top prize. These were two very different pieces of writing but we felt they both fully embodied the theme of this contest, and each of them, in their own way, had the potential to teach the world an important lesson about empathy.
In the end, we did make a decision, awarding First Place and a prize of $250 to the one we just couldn’t stop thinking and talking about. To the other, we’ve awarded Honourable Mention and a prize of $100. Both entries have been published in Issue 2 of our print magazine (why not start your subscription today) as well as online.
Additionally, we selected 5 runners-up. Each runner-up receives an honorarium of $20 and online publication.
Here’s the winning line-up!
Winner:
Drowning Manifesto
A Poem by Tala Abu Rahmeh
Honourable Mention:
Hail Mary
A Story by Mubanga Kalimamukwento
Runners-up:
Houston
Poem by Isabella Neblett
I Don’t Speak Icelandic
Story by Jenny-Lynn Ellis
Peace, Order and Pretty Good Normal
Story by Lis Jakobsen
Desert Spirits
Story by Rebecca Walling
Home, Alone
Story by Rebecca Wickens
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to everyone who entered the contest!
