INCITE 2018
JUDGE'S PREFACE
Dear Creative Nonfiction Writers,
There is nothing a great story can’t fix. There is no time better than now, and no power greater than the possibilities that flow from the tip of your pen to paper. I—a journalist—and you— a nonfiction writer—are one and the same. We value storytelling at its most raw. We take life experiences, draw inspiration from significant events in the world, and turn them into evocative pieces. The realm of creative nonfiction is rich and compelling and prompts the younger generation of writers to engage, to write and to create meaningful discussions of world issues. The genre affords you the freedom to transform important messages into masterpieces that can be both appreciated and elicit the desire to create change. So, I hope that you will find inspiration in the pages that follow to carry out your obligations as creative nonfiction writers. This collection is filled with innovative and heart-wrenching works of art, passionately written by today’s youth. This publication is the beginning of a shift in this generation’s world of writing. A story can be a catalyst for change, and it starts with you, a pen, a piece of paper and a passion to write your truth. Sincerely, Lauren Knowles |
2018 inCITE Writing Prompt:
inCITE 2017-2018
"Select a recent or current event—local, national, or global—and use it to inspire a piece of creative non-fiction. Poems, essays, short stories, and photo essays are welcome. Photo submissions must include a 400-500 word explanatory paragraph providing both the context for the images and a rationale in terms of artistic vision."
Congratulations to our 2018 INCITE Winners and honourable mentions announced Saturday, April 21, 2018 @ Villanova College. Our 2018 Judges were Lauren Knowles and Krystal Lunardo.
Grades 7/8
1. Stand Up by Bella Melardi
2. The Voice of a Nation by Aman Serhan
3. Red Dresses: The Impact of Indigenous Women on Canadian
Culture by Isabelle Barker
Honourable Mention:
When You Leave, There’s Nothing Left of Me by Chloe Comeau
Grades 9/10
1. lamplight by Norah Peebles
2. Caleb’s Requiem by Em Merchant
3. The Long Way Home by Kiara Chong
Honourable Mention:
Running From His Snow White Eyes by Celeste Frank
Grades 11/12
1. The Glass Between by Thai Judiesch
2. Free by Sofia Beraldo
3. Mama’s Helper, Papa’s Little Girl by Michelle Joe-Ezigbo
Honourable Mention:
The Stranger in the Photo is Me by Lucy Farcnik
Thank you to each of our contributing students. Thank you to the teachers who encouraged our aspiring authors to write their stories, essays and poems.
Cover artwork by Juliet Quinton, Grade 12 of Villanova College.
Here is the artist's statement:
Physical or emotional, everyone at some point in their lives feels trapped; as though they have no control over the situation they are in. When faced with adversity there are always two options to act upon: one, do nothing and allow the issue to overtake you, or two, fight back. My drawing depicts force because the woman in my artwork is fighting against the impossible—trying to break through the ice she is trapped under. Water is the most powerful force in the world, and she finds herself submerged within it, desperately trying to escape. This depicts force not only because she is trying to break the ice, but because it forces whoever views this image to understand her struggle and situation. Before I began the construction of this piece, I had many other ideas focusing on natural force, force of love, force of thought, and force of mystery. In this piece, I tried to combine as many of those as I could. Along with her physical struggle, I also wanted to point out her internal struggle. Notice how her hair is almost perfect, her face is beautiful, but there is no visible ice on the canvas—that is all implied. The biggest type of force in this image is the pressure that she has put on herself—to look beautiful, to hold her breath, and keep pushing. Yet now, she is at her breaking point. None of the beauty can save her now. She must break through the ice that she has created—the ice that only she can see, which blurs her vision and slowly drowns her.
inCITE 2017-2018
"Select a recent or current event—local, national, or global—and use it to inspire a piece of creative non-fiction. Poems, essays, short stories, and photo essays are welcome. Photo submissions must include a 400-500 word explanatory paragraph providing both the context for the images and a rationale in terms of artistic vision."
Congratulations to our 2018 INCITE Winners and honourable mentions announced Saturday, April 21, 2018 @ Villanova College. Our 2018 Judges were Lauren Knowles and Krystal Lunardo.
Grades 7/8
1. Stand Up by Bella Melardi
2. The Voice of a Nation by Aman Serhan
3. Red Dresses: The Impact of Indigenous Women on Canadian
Culture by Isabelle Barker
Honourable Mention:
When You Leave, There’s Nothing Left of Me by Chloe Comeau
Grades 9/10
1. lamplight by Norah Peebles
2. Caleb’s Requiem by Em Merchant
3. The Long Way Home by Kiara Chong
Honourable Mention:
Running From His Snow White Eyes by Celeste Frank
Grades 11/12
1. The Glass Between by Thai Judiesch
2. Free by Sofia Beraldo
3. Mama’s Helper, Papa’s Little Girl by Michelle Joe-Ezigbo
Honourable Mention:
The Stranger in the Photo is Me by Lucy Farcnik
Thank you to each of our contributing students. Thank you to the teachers who encouraged our aspiring authors to write their stories, essays and poems.
Cover artwork by Juliet Quinton, Grade 12 of Villanova College.
Here is the artist's statement:
Physical or emotional, everyone at some point in their lives feels trapped; as though they have no control over the situation they are in. When faced with adversity there are always two options to act upon: one, do nothing and allow the issue to overtake you, or two, fight back. My drawing depicts force because the woman in my artwork is fighting against the impossible—trying to break through the ice she is trapped under. Water is the most powerful force in the world, and she finds herself submerged within it, desperately trying to escape. This depicts force not only because she is trying to break the ice, but because it forces whoever views this image to understand her struggle and situation. Before I began the construction of this piece, I had many other ideas focusing on natural force, force of love, force of thought, and force of mystery. In this piece, I tried to combine as many of those as I could. Along with her physical struggle, I also wanted to point out her internal struggle. Notice how her hair is almost perfect, her face is beautiful, but there is no visible ice on the canvas—that is all implied. The biggest type of force in this image is the pressure that she has put on herself—to look beautiful, to hold her breath, and keep pushing. Yet now, she is at her breaking point. None of the beauty can save her now. She must break through the ice that she has created—the ice that only she can see, which blurs her vision and slowly drowns her.