SILVER SPRING, MD — Residents of Silver Spring are among more than 30 writers awarded for their work in the the Bethesda’s Local Writer’s Showcase, a contest created by the Bethesda Urban Partnership.
“The Showcase consists of two awards ceremonies and readings, honoring the winners of the annual Bethesda Essay and Short Story Contest, and the Bethesda Poetry Contest,” the Bethesda Urban Partnership said in a news release.
Sharon Nissim earned second place in the short story category, Kristina Saccone was an honorable mention in the short story category and Jonah Witte of Montgomery Blair High School won third place in the high school short story category.
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The ceremonies will be March 10 and 11, and will be free and open to the public. The writers’ work was judged by award-winning poet Dora Malec, writer Christine Koubek, Director of Creative Writing at George Washington University, and Lisa Page, and author, writing instructor GG Renee Hill, and writers Myna Chang, Carrie Callaghan, Ofelia Montelongo, Will Pittman, Adam Schwartz and Alice Stephens, the Bethesda Urban Partnership said in a news release.
More than 450 pieces were submitted to the contest. A total of $4,500 in prize money will be distributed among the winners and all essay and short story winners will be published on Bethesda Magazine’s website and the Bethesda Urban Partnership’s website.
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Bethesda Magazine and The Writer’s Center are sponsors of the showcase.
Here’s the full list of winners:
Essay Winners
Dian Seidel, Chevy Chase, MD, 1st Place
Marla Hirsch, Potomac, MD, 2nd Place
Louis Siegel, Rockville, MD, 3rd Place
Jennifer Blanck, Arlington, VA, Honorable Mention
Thu Nguyen, Gaithersburg, MD, Honorable Mention
Emmy Song, Rockville, MD, Honorable Mention
High School Essay Winners
Ada Fiala, Richard Montgomery High School, 1st Place
Ellie Tinsky, Walt Whitman High School, 2nd Place
Allison Xu, Walter Johnson High School, 3rd Place
Phoebe Lewis, Bethesda Chevy Chase High School, Honorable Mention
Short Story Winners
Elliot Wilner, Bethesda, MD, 1st Place
Sharon Nissim, Silver Spring, MD, 2nd Place
Jackie Jacobson, Rockville, MD, 3rd Place
Eva Cantler, Washington, DC, Honorable Mention
Kristina Saccone, Silver Spring, MD, Honorable Mention
High School Short Story Winners
Cathryn Russ, Wootton High School, 1st Place
Angelica Frude, Richard Montgomery High School, 2nd Place
Jonah Witte, Montgomery Blair High School, 3rd Place
Mikayla Bellman, Paint Branch High School, Honorable Mention
Camryn Crump, Damascus High School, Honorable Mention
Omotola Fadeyi, Paint Branch High School, Honorable Mention
Poetry Winners
Jaime Banks, Bethesda MD, 1st Place
Frederick Zirm, Rockville, MD, 2nd Place
Raquel Vazquez, Bethesda, MD, 3rd Place
Akbota Saudabayeva, Bethesda, MD, Honorable Mention
Doug Wilkinson, Takoma Park, MD, Honorable Mention
Jenn Koiter, Washington, D.C., Honorable Mention
High School Poetry Winners
Sophia Hall, Holton Arms
Sam Melton, Rockville High School
Sophia Flyer, Georgetown Day School
Zara Okudo, Wootton High School
Joshua Phillips, Phillips Academy
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