OTTAWA – The deadline for the Ottawa Public Library’s (OPL) youth writing contest Awesome Authors is Feb. 28.

Youth ages nine to 18 are invited to submit an original piece of writing in each of the three categories: a comic, a poem and a short story – in English and/or French. There are two age categories: eight to 12 and 13 to 18. Winners will receive cash prizes and the winning entries will get published in the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association’s (FOPLA) pot-pourri anthology.

A series of writing workshops will be offered to the aspiring winners during the month of February. Spots are limited; make sure to reserve yours at BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca to get expert guidance that can make your writing even more awesome.

Contest winners will be announced, and cash prizes awarded during two separate ceremonies, one for the nine to 12 age category and one for those aged 13 to 18. Both ceremonies will include fun activities to celebrate writing and creativity. The award ceremonies will take place on April 25 at Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe.

Awesome Authors youth writing contest is sponsored by the FOPLA who also publish pot-pourri, an annual anthology of the winning poems, stories and comics. To get your copy, visit the FOPLA website at https://www.fopla-aabpo.ca/.

The OPL is the largest bilingual (English/French) public library system in North America, with 34 branches, physical and virtual, as well as mobile libraries, and a vending machine-style library service. OPL’s mission is to inspire learning, spark curiosity, and connect people. Follow OPL on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook . Contact us at 613-580-2940 or InfoService@BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca.