Second Annual Rising Spirits Contest and Celebration

Available NOW for digital purchase:   2014 Rising Spirits Anthology
Prefer a book? Contact us at: [email protected]  or Phone:  289-868-9601
We all had a great time honouring the winners of the Rising Spirits Contest 2014! 
And the winners are...

The NOTL Writers’ Circle is pleased to announce the winners of the 2014 Rising Spirits Writing Contest. We had many wonderful submissions and would like to thank everyone who participated. We hope all participants will join us at the Rising Spirits Celebration on October 31st at the Old Cellar (The Old Winery).
 
The official winners are:
 
Poetry Category:
Winner – Bill Hamilton – “Innocent”
Honourable Mention – Debbie Whitehouse – “Escape from Darkness”
 
Local History Category:
Winner – Bill Hamilton – “Room 207”
 
Horror Category:
Winner – Karly Straitton – “The House on Morrow Lane”
 
Mystery Category:
Ryan Gaio – “The Mixed Up Man”
 
Fantasy Category:
Winner – Sally Basmajian – “Halloween at the Club”
Honourable Mention – Sharon Frayne – “Dream, Plan, Do”
Honourable Mention – Pamela Nowina – “Black Ice”
 
Youth Category:
Jenny Schaefer – “Surrender”
 
Congratulations to all the winners! We look forward to hearing all the winners read  their pieces at the Rising Spirits Celebration. 
Friday, October 31st (7- 9 pm)
Rising Spirits Celebration 

We're pleased to announce special guest Author Robert J. Sawyer will be on hand to present and award and give a short speech!

“Robert J. Sawyer is one of Canada's best known and most successful science fiction writers. He is the only Canadian (and one of only 7 writers in the world) to have won all three of the top international awards for science fiction: the 1995 Nebula Award for The Terminal Experiment, the 2003 Hugo Award for Hominids, and the 2006 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Mindscan.”

Join us in honouring the winners of our Rising Spirits Contest at The Old Winery's spectacular new event space - The Cellar. This exciting evening of storytelling, food, wine and music is open to the public - but - space is limited, so pick up your tickets as soon as they become available (end of August). 

Tickets can be ordered by emailing [email protected]  or picked up at NOTL Library in September. 
The Old Winery's 
The Cellar
2228 Niagara Stone Road


Entry Rules
How To Enter

1.  Fill out an official entry form. You must submit a separate entry form with each submission.  
2.  Only one submission per category is permitted.
3.  Your entry must be dropped off at NOTL Public Library (10 Anderson Lane, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ONLOS 1J0) or sent in by email to [email protected] by 4 p.m. on Monday, September 15th, 2014. Late submissions will not be considered.

Who Can Enter
1. You must be 18 years or older and be a resident of Niagara Region. Youth entries are open to individuals 14-18 years of age.
2. Only the author of the work being submitted has the right to submit an entry.

What You Can Enter
1. Your entry must be original. A person who submits an entry that is plagiarized will be disqualified from the contest.         Plagiarism is copying someone else's words and or their ideas and saying they are your own.
2. Only unpublished material will be accepted. Copyright remains the property of the author.
3. Your entry must be written in English.
4. Your entry must be connected to the theme of Halloween – however you care to interpret it. Short stories and/or poetry must not exceed 2500 words.
5. You can send in only one entry per category. The judging categories are as follows:
            a. Poetry
            b. Horror
            c. Mystery
            d. Fantasy
            e. Local History
            f. Youth
6. Your entry must be typed, double-spaced, on 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper.
7. The following information must be included on the top page. Each following page should only have the title of the piece.
            a. Full name
            b. Story Name and word count
            c. Home Address
            d. Email address
            e. Telephone Number
            f. Page Number

How Entries are Judged
1.  A panel of judges will judge the entries for each category separately.
2. Each entry will be judged for content, originality, and style.

Winners and Prizes
1.  All authors of winning entries will be contacted one week before the Awards Celebration to be held on the evening of Friday, October 31st, 2014.
2.  All authors of winning entries will have their work published in the Anthology – Rising Spirits, Second Edition and receive a prize package valued at $100
3.  All contestants will be invited to the Awards Celebration.

This Contest is made possible by the generous support and participation of our

COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library
Niagara College
The Pen Centre
Crabtree Publishing
The Old Winery
The Shaw Festival
Ghost Walks
Niagara Region
Taste the Town Tours
Niagara Historical Society & Museum

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