Twenty-two youngsters have moved onto the second phase of Dragonzilla’s Short Story Writing Challenge, and now have a great chance at winning one of many wonderful and useful prizes!
Over 100 children aged 5-12 shared their 300-400 word story on the theme “My COVID experience in Trinidad and Tobago” for the online Storywriting Challenge that goes towards replacing the 2020 nationwide NGC Children’s Bocas Lit Fest Storytelling Caravan.
The NGC Children’s Bocas Lit Fest together with NALIS are excited about the next round of the Challenge, where finalists in each category, 5-8 and 9-12, submit videos of themselves reading the stories they entered in phase one. The deadline for submission of videos is Monday 16 November.
Star storyteller and retired librarian Joan Osbourne will be among a panel of NALIS children’s librarians tasked with selecting the winning stories in each age group. The NALIS team says “It was quite difficult coming up with the list of finalists. There were so many good stories to choose from. Now, we look forward to seeing them deliver what they wrote.”
Everyone is invited to vote for their favourite videos when they are uploaded to the Bocas and NALIS Facebook pages. All likes and shares will be tallied as votes for a People‘s Choice winner in each age group. Votes for the People’s Choice award will be counted at midnight on Friday 4 December and votes received after that time will not be accepted.
Look out for the announcement of winners in both categories on Friday 11 December via Bocas Lit Fest and NALIS social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and our respective websites. The prizes include tablets, laptops and more!
NGC Children’s Bocas Lit Fest Director, Danielle Delon, says, “We are learning so much from this Challenge about how children are being affected by the pandemic. We’re getting to know their observations, their reflections on life in the communities today. We’re finding out their concerns in and around the home, about online schooling, not being with their friends and so much more!”
THE FINALISTS
| FINALISTS: AGES 5-8 | FINALISTS: AGES 9-12 | |
| Bridgette Gopal | Anasuriya Seeram Maharaj | |
| Che Forbes | Amara Stoute | |
| Daniel Ryan | Chelsea Guppy | |
| Hannah Caesar | Dharsan Ramroop | |
| Josh Hansraj | Josse Franco | |
| Jolene Bridgelal | Jean-Loius Brown | |
| Naima Hannibal | Risha Maharaj | |
| Nivaan Ramjattan | Nenriki Lai Leung | |
| Nia Seerattansingh | Tahila Ramsamooj | |
| Tasneem Ali | Subira Charles | |
| Viashnavi Ramroop | Sriya Persad Maharaj
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