Connecticut Young Writers

CT Young Writers The Connecticut Young Writers Competition has been a collaboration of the Connecticut Young Writers Trust and the Connecticut State University System for the past 14 years, most recently with the support of the Family Trust of Glastonbury business consultant Matt Daly. The competition has encouraged and recognized high school-age writers and poets all across Connecticut. Entries have traditionally been accepted in late winter, with awards ceremonies in the spring. Approaching 2012, changes in the program are anticipated under the leadership of the Connecticut Young Writers Trust. Specific information, when available, will be posted at the new web site, www.ctyoungwriterstrust.org



View Prose Finalists View Poetry Finalists


Winners Selected in Record-Setting Competition

Laura Simonson, 17, of Brookfield High School and Carolyn Orosz, 18, of Granby, who attends the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, were selected as Connecticut's champion prose and poetry writers among more than 800 entries received in the 14th annual Connecticut Young Writers Competition. State champions Simonson and Orosz were among 30 students across the state — selected from a record-setting 806 entries — honored in ceremonies held June 11, 2011 at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) which hosted the statewide banquet for the annual competition highlighting prose and poetry writing submitted by Connecticut teenagers.

Simonson's 11-page winning entry, "Farm," (PDF) and Orosz' 6-page poem, "But We Hadn't Been Burying the Right Kind of Bones," (PDF) were the top choices of judges in their respective categories. Selected as state finalists were prose writers Kevin Bun, 14, of Broadview Middle School in Danbury and Jacquelyn Longacre, 17, of Griswold High School. State finalists in poetry writing were Katie O'Neill, 15, from Greenwich Academy and Trey Vaz, 17, from Windham High School.

Students Across Connecticut

The literary awards competition, for students ages 13 to 18, is a project of the Connecticut State University System (CSUS) and the Connecticut Young Writers Trust, with the support of the family trust of Glastonbury business consultant Matt Daly. It is specifically designed to encourage young writers and poets throughout Connecticut. Entrants are nominated by a teacher in a public or private school, and home school entries are also accepted.

There were 806 entries received, surpassing last year's previous high of 795. It's the first time that a record number of entries were received in back-to-back years.

"The strong response of Connecticut students reflects the commitment of a great many people — including teachers and volunteers — to encourage writing, but most of all it demonstrates the high level of talent, creativity and dedication that exists among students all across our state," said Louise H. Feroe, CSUS Acting Chancellor. Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University and Western Connecticut State University received the entries and a distinguished panel of judges selected the state's top poets and writers.

The state champions received $1,000 from the Connecticut Young Writers Trust and the opportunity to have their works published in the literary journal Connecticut Review, which is produced by the Connecticut State University System. The two state finalists in each category received $500. Four semi-finalists were also recognized in each category, with each receiving $250 from the Trust. In addition, eight quarter-finalists in the prose and poetry categories receive $100 for having been selected among the top 30 entries in the state.

Distinguished Writers

The state champion poetry prize was presented in honor of Leo Connellan, the late CSUS poet in residence and Connecticut Poet Laureate. Connellan, known as "El Bardo The Legend," was a founder of the Young Writers Competition. His trilogy, The Clear Blue Lobster — Water Country, won the Shelley Memorial Award.

The state champion prose prize was presented in honor of Wally Lamb, the acclaimed novelist and workshop leader for inmates of the Niantic prison. Lamb, author of books including The Hour I First Believed, I Know This Much Is True and She's Come Undone was a keynote speaker and workshop leader for the Young Writers Competition in 2000, and is a long-time supporter of the competition.

Awards Banquet

Co-masters of ceremony for the statewide awards were writer Rand Richards Cooper, and CCSU poet-in-residence and Associate Professor of English Ravi Shankar. Shankar was recently elected as chairman of the Connecticut Young Writers Trust, succeeding founding Chairman Andy Thibault.

"This is the strongest batch of entries in many years. There were so many deserving works of exceptional quality that the judges were forced into deep and protracted debates," said Shankar.

At the June 11 event, Charlotte Crowe, the 2005 state prose champion, led workshops for the students in cooperation with fellow keynote speakers Patricia Smith and Bruce DeSilva. Smith's fifth book of poetry, Blood Dazzler, was a National Book Award finalist. Smith's husband, DeSilva, is the author of the highly praised first novel, Rogue Island, which received the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America earlier this year. He is a retired writing coach for the Associated Press national desk and The Hartford Courant. Crowe, Brown University Class of 2011, interned last summer with the poetry editor of The New Yorker. She is a graduate of Greater Hartford Academy and Canton High School.

Also at the annual ceremonies, the Connecticut National Youth Poetry Slam Team 2011 performed a collaborative poem about the muse. The poem, written by the team, included a tribute to Patricia Smith. The team's coach is poet Elizabeth Thomas, a long-time judge for the Connecticut Young Writers Trust. Reception entertainment was provided by The Jen Allen Big Band / Cosmic Jibaros.

For more information, contact Ravi Shankar at 860-938-2139 or shankarr@mail.ccsu.edu

15 Prose Finalists

  • State Champion
    Laura Simonson, Farm, Brookfield High School, Elizabeth Spencer

  • State Finalist
    Jacqueline Longacre, The Prisoners of Outpost 113, Griswold High School, Nadine Keane

    Kevin Bun, Sophea or Sophie, Broadview Middle School (Danbury), Ramona Brunetti

  • State Semi-Finalist
    Samantha Schwind, Out Of Order, Woodland Regional High School (Beacon Falls), Nancy Manning

    Emma Broder, Vectors, Educational Center for the Arts (New Haven), Caroline Rosenstone

    Brendan Gallimore Perry, She Talks To Angels, Griswold High School, Nadine Keane

    Sophia Harvey, The Painted Woman, Lyme-Old Lyme High School, Jessica Mularski

  • State Quarter-Finalist
    Matt Cavagnero, Granite, Torrington High School, Patricia Kozlak

    Daniel Welch, The Capuchin Mirror, Fairfield College Prep, James Chesbro

    Olivia Vehslage, Deer, Dendrites and Dread, Loomis Chafee School (Windsor), Berrie Moos

    Sophie Dillon, Why I Am Different, Educational Center for the Arts of New Haven, Caroline Rosenstone

    Kannani Kinnaman, Summers, Home School, Mystic, Lynn Kinnaman

    Kristen Hinz, Sanctuary, New Milford High School, Jasmina Thompson

    Alyssa Holmes, Photo Album, Rockville High School, Victoria Nordlund

    Lillian Sun, West Nile Delirium, Educational Center for the Arts (New Haven), Caroline Rosenstone

15 Poetry Finalists

  • State Champion
    Carolyn Orosz, But We Hadn't Been Burying the Right Kind of Bones, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, Megan Evans

  • State Finalist
    Trey Vaz, Letter to My Pops, Windham High School, Lynn Frazier

    Katie O'Neill, Iconoclast, Greenwich Academy, Jeffrey Schwartz

  • State Semi-Finalist
    Amy Whitehead, Thoughts On Falling, Westover School (Middlebury), Bruce Coffin

    Mary Margaret Meehan, Beachcomber, Westover School (Middlebury), Bruce Coffin

    Kristen Houston, Body Language, Greenwich Academy, Melissa Anderson

    Hannah Meduna, Early June Nights, Westover Academy (Middlebury), Bruce Coffin

  • State Quarter-Finalist
    Julia DeAngleo, Me In 40 Years, Greenwich Academy, Jeff Schwartz

    Samantha Credit, Apple, Arts at the Capitol Theater (Willimantic), Lisa Taylor

    Samuel Lagasse, Ichthys, Westhill High School (Stamford), Robin Denninger

    Alexandra Pape, Postcard From Madison Connecticut, Westover School (Middlebury), Bruce Coffin

    Hannah Acheson-Field, Driving, Westover School (Middlebury), Bruce Coffin

    Bethany Simmonds, Falling, Westover School (Middlebury), Bruce Coffin

    Clyda Jane Dansdill, Innocent, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, Pit Pinegar

    Audrey Gidman, Speaking in Tongues, Arts at the Capitol Theater (Willimantic), Lisa Taylor

2010 Winners

County Champions

Poetry Champions
  • Julia Albano, 18, of Danbury High School, for the poem "Red In The Shade Of Salsa Diane"
  • Grace Beggins, 17, of The Williams School, for the poem "Cloud Gazing"
  • Carter Brown, 18, of Litchfield High School, for the poem "ICARI"
  • Josh Bryer, 17, of Kilingly High School, for the poem "A Number of Thoughts"
  • Olivia DelGiudice, 17, of Old Saybrook High School, for the poem "Recovery"
  • Morgan Finn, 16, of Bristol Central HS, for the poem "Where I Come From"
  • Mary Margaret Meehan, 17, of Westover School, for the poem "Equine"
  • Timothy West, 18, of Rockville High School, for the poem "In Homage To M.C. Escher"
Prose Champions
  • Zeena Advani, 17, of Westhill High School, for the story "Universal Rhythms"
  • Claire Burch, 16, of New Milford High School, for the story "The Neighborhood"
  • Gloria Creamer, 16, of Montville High School, for the story "Old Glory"
  • Sheldon Gaskell, 16, of Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, for the story "Kineo"
  • Kyle Kneeland, 17, of Rockville High School, for the story "Colors Of A Dream"
  • Chelsea Melanson, 17, of The Morgan School, for the story "Come Home"
  • Anna Nassiff, 18, of Arts at The Capitol Theater, for the story "Mrs. Warren In Color"
  • Noah Perito, 15, of Branford High School, for the story "Dead Card Players Tell No Tales"
Students from Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and The Williams School of New London were awarded the top statewide prizes in prose and poetry on Thursday, June 3 in the 13th annual Connecticut Young Writers competition, a project of the Connecticut State University System and the Connecticut Young Writers Trust.

Sheldon Gaskell, 16, of Suffield, won for his story, "Kineo." Grace Beggins, 17, of Guilford, took home the poetry prize for her poem, "Cloud Gazing."

At the annual awards dinner at the Hartford Club, both students received $1,000 for their efforts. They also were awarded $500 in April after being named county champions. The winning entries may also be published in Connecticut Review, the literary journal of the Connecticut State University System.

The awards dinner featured keynote speakers Robert Leuci, a novelist and professor at the University of Rhode Island who served with the New York Police Department as an undercover narcotics detective; and Lauren Hefferon, the 2003 State Prose Champion, Yale Class of 2010. Hefferon is training this summer with Teach for America, an arm of AmeriCorps that sends graduates into the inner cities to teach high school students.

The ceremony included two live bands, the Bridgeport-based Latin rock band Cosmic Jibaros along with the Jen Allen Big Band. About 130 guests attended.

This year saw 795 teenagers compete, the highest in the Connecticut Young Writers Competition history. The previous record was 647 in 2000. The program has given nearly $200,000 to teenagers since 1998. More than 6,000 students have competed. County award ceremonies are held in April at Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut State Universities, with the county winners eligible for the statewide award.

The Connecticut Network, CT-N, taped the event for broadcast. Diane Smith, the author, TV-radio newswoman and board member of the Connecticut Young Writers Trust, served as Master of Ceremonies.
Watch the Ceremony


2009 Awards Banquet Photos


2011

2010


2009



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