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Winners of the 2022 Nova Writes Competition

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Nova Writes Competition for Unpublished Manuscripts! These winners will receive $250 each and be featured in special Author Spotlights over the summer:

  • Budge Wilson Short Fiction Prize: Briony Merritt, “Blackfriars Bridge” | Shortlist: Amy Donovan, Lindsey Harrington, Scott L. Neilson, Andrea Reynolds
    • Citation from judge Ian Colford: “‘Blackfriars Bridge’ carries the reader along on a gripping wave of dramatic urgency. The story—concise, action-packed—is set in London during an unspecified past era, probably during the reign of Queen Victoria. The author works with a light touch, skillfully and unobtrusively weaving period details into this brief tale, which involves a teenage girl being sent to fetch a doctor to attend to a pregnant woman in distress. The girl, a lover of poetry, remains unnamed throughout. She is smart, observant and determined. We experience events through her eyes. We feel the throb of her anxiety and share her deep concern for the stricken woman. The narrative voice is absolutely convincing, the writing evocative and memorable and filled with descriptive nuggets, such as ‘gossip burning on their lips’ and ‘the horse snorted dragon’s breath.’ ‘Blackfriars Bridge’ is a polished and sophisticated piece of writing.”
  • H.R. (Bill) Percy Short Creative Non-Fiction Prize: Monika Dutt, “Foundations” | Shortlist: Elizabeth Collis, Lois Ann Dort, Jessica Marsh, Tiffany Mosher
    • Citation from judge Joanne Gallant: “‘Foundations’ is about the beauty and heaviness of single motherhood. Compelling and filled with grit, Dutt had me at times in tears, and then whooping with delight as she proved to herself—and to all mothers—that we are much stronger than we think. She captured the experience of life as a single mother caring for her son, relying on her determination to keep them both safe, as she tries to make the long drive home. Her car becomes a metaphor for the obstacles of raising a child, and Dutt provides the reader with snapshots of both the joy and the arduous experience of childrearing as a single parent. I was in the hands of a masterful storyteller while reading ‘Foundations.’ Dutt delivers right up until the very end. An exceptionally well-written piece that was heartfelt and satisfying to read.”
  • Joyce Barkhouse Young Adult Fiction Prize: Libby Broadbent, “Seventh Son” | Shortlist: Claire MacDonell, Andrea Reynolds
    • Citation from judge Melanie Mosher: “In this short excerpt, Broadbent has managed to create a believable world with intriguing characters, Runa and Button, twins separated at birth yet connected by magic and spells. Artful writing draws the reader into this world: Broadbent’s word choice and phrasing are spot on for the genre, and the work is captivating, full of wonderful descriptions that conjure vivid images. Good vs evil, greed, power, and love are all at play. A mother’s sacrifice, long lost spells, secret identities, and lurking mysteries entice. […] Already, in this short section, the reader is rooting for Runa and Button. Wanting Runa to overcome her mean Aunt Elinor. Wanting Button to stand up to his father and leave his basement room. Wanting the twins to be reunited and for good to reign. Well done!”
  • Rita Joe Poetry Prize: Jan Fancy Hull, “Moss Meditations” | Shortlist: Cynthia Germain Bazinet, Sophia Godsoe, Teresa Killbride, Louise Piper
    • Citation from judge Margo Wheaton: “‘Moss Meditations’ is a clear, beautifully-crafted seven-part poem and earthy hymn to moss, that ‘daughter of seaweed.’ Part praise poem and part confession, each section in this stirring meditation depicts an acutely personal interaction with the physical world. Asserting that ‘we must kneel to see it,’ the poem’s speaker adopts a stance of reverence in order to study ‘the moss-lined cradle of the forest floor’ and the stream ‘singing its ancient song.’ Clear-eyed and open-hearted, the politics of this poem are insistent, reminding us that we are stewards of a world we ourselves destroy. Elegant and hushed, this poem offers an alternative way to be with the living world and calls us to remember that we walk daily through ‘a kingdom of wonder.'”
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Simultaneous Submissions

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) administers some programs (and special projects) that involve print and/or digital publication of ‘selected’ or ‘winning’ entries. In most cases, writing submitted to these programs and projects must not be previously published and must not be simultaneously under consideration for publication by another organization. Why? Because our assessment and selection processes depends on all submitted writing being available for first publication. If writing selected for publication by WFNS has already been published or is published by another organization first, copyright issues will likely make it impossible for WFNS to (re-)publish that writing.

When simultaneous submissions to a WFNS program are not permitted, it means the following:

  • You may not submit writing that has been accepted for future publication by another organization.
  • You may not submit writing that is currently being considered for publication by another organization—or for another prize that includes publication.
  • The writing submitted to WFNS may not be submitted for publication to another organization until the WFNS program results are communicated. Results will be communicated directly to you by email and often also through the public announcement of a shortlist or list of winners. Once your writing is no longer being considered for the WFNS program, you are free to submit it elsewhere.
    • If you wish to submit your entry elsewhere before WFNS program results have been announced, you must first contact WFNS to withdraw your entry. Any entry fee cannot be refunded.

Prohibitions on simultaneous submission do not apply to multiple WFNS programs. You are always permitted to submit the same unpublished writing to multiple WFNS programs (and special projects) at the same time, such as the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program, the Emerging Writers Prizes, the Jampolis Cottage Residency Program, the Message on a Bottle contest, the Nova Writes Competition, and any WFNS projects involving one-time or recurring special publications.

Recommended Experience Levels

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) recommends that participants in any given workshop have similar levels of creative writing and / or publication experience. This ensures that each participant gets value from the workshop⁠ and is presented with information, strategies, and skills that suit their career stage. The “Recommended experience level” section of each workshop description refers to the following definitions used by WFNS.

  • New writers: those with less than two years’ creative writing experience and/or no short-form publications (e.g., short stories, personal essays, or poems in literary magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks).
  • Emerging writers: those with more than two years’ creative writing experience and/or numerous short-form publications.
  • Early-career authors: those with 1 or 2 book-length publications or the equivalent in book-length and short-form publications.
  • Established authors: those with 3 or 4 book-length publications.
  • Professional authors: those with 5 or more book-length publications.

Please keep in mind that each form of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and writing for children and young adults) provides you with a unique set of experiences and skills, so you might consider yourself an ‘established author’ in one form but a ‘new writer’ in another.

For “intensive” and “masterclass” creative writing workshops, which provide more opportunities for peer-to-peer feedback, the recommended experience level should be followed closely.

For all other workshops, the recommended experience level is just that—a recommendation—and we encourage potential participants to follow their own judgment when registering.

If you’re uncertain of your experience level with regard to any particular workshop, please feel free to contact us at communications@writers.ns.ca