Festival of Words announces student writing contest

Acadiana students in grades 3-12 who attend public schools, private schools, charter schools and homeschools may participate in the Festival of Words Student Creative Writing Contest. The final deadline for online submissions via email is 11:55 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, 2019. Contest winners will be announced on Friday, Oct. 25, and invited to read their work on the Community Stage at the annual Festival of Words literary festival to be held Saturday, Nov. 2, in Grand Coteau.

The writing contest is sponsored by the National Writing Project of Acadiana and the Festival of Words. Students can enter their original writing pieces into three writing categories including poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. Writings should be submitted through a supervising teacher or school facilitator online by sending them to hmkreamer@louisiana.edu. Parent/guardian permission must be granted by filling out the student writing contest entry form. The supervising teacher or school facilitator should submit these forms electronically by the submission deadline as well. Awards will be given for first, second and third place winners. Contest winners will also receive an anthology publication of winning entries.

Please feel free to contact Dr. H. Michelle Kreamer, Writing Competition Coordinator for Festival of Words Student Creative Writing Contest at hmkreamer@lousiana.edu or (337) 482-5781 if you have questions or concerns.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Festival of Words and Acadiana Wiriting Project student writing contest now taking submissions

Students in grades 3-12 from across the Acadiana-area are invited to participate in a writing contest sponsored by the National Writing Project of Acadiana and the Festival of Words. Students can enter their original writing pieces into three writing categories including:

Poetry

Fiction

Creative non-fiction

Writings should be submitted through a supervising teacher or school facilitator online by sending them to tdaspit@louisiana.edu or sharing in a Google folder. Parental permission must be granted by filling out the student writing contest entry form.  Awards will be given for first, second, and third place winners. Contest winners will also receive an anthology publication of winning entries. 

Final Deadline for online submissions is Friday, October 12, 2018

Festival of Words event will be held in Grand Coteau on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018. All entrants are invited to attend the festival; contest winners will be invited to read their original writing pieces on the Community Stage.

Please feel free to contact Dr. Toby Daspit, co-director of the National Writing Project of Acadiana, at (337) 482-6409 if you have questions or concerns.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Festival of Words winners announced

Congratulations to students who placed in the 2017 Festival of Words Youth Creative Writing Contest. They are:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Poetry

1st: "Achieve" by Ethan Landes, 5th grade, Berchman’s Academy

Fiction

1st: "Light and Shadow in the War of Age" by Mason Darby, 5th grade, Berchman’s Academy

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Poetry

1st  "March to the Sea" by Rani Meaux, 8th grade, North Vermilion Middle School

2nd:  "Our Universe" by Brooklyn Orr, 7th grade, North Vermilion Middle School

3rd:  "Leaves" by Candence Tucker, 8th grade, L.J. Alleman Middle School

Fiction

1st  "The Bad" by Blair Saltzman, 8th grade, North Vermilion Middle School

2nd:  "Samel” by Kristos Guillory, 8th grade, North Vermilion Middle School

3rd:  "Rein’s Foolishness”, by Mya Gerard, 8th grade, Broussard Middle School

4th  "Dream Journals and Reality,” by Madison Trahan, 7th grade, North Vermilion Middle School

HIGH SCHOOL

Poetry

1st: "Bookworm" by Cameron Choate, 10th grade, Lafayette High

2nd: “Something Somewhere Fell” by Alex Malcombe, 11th grade, Lafayette High School

3rd:  "The Day that I Felt Nothing,” by Aalayah Richard, 12th grade, Carencro High School

Fiction

1st: "Victim,” by Victoria Matte, 10th grade, Lafayette High School

2nd: "I Want to Join,” by Gavin Novasad, 10th grade, Lafayette High School

3rd:  "Breakthrough,” by Kyley Prejean, 9th grade, Carencro High School

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The Acadiana Writing Project partners with Festival of Words every year to sponsor the Festival of Words Youth Writing Contest. Hundreds of students in grades 3-12 from across Acadiana submitted poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction pieces. All submissions were anonymous, for blind judging. Winners were honored at The Thensted Center on Saturday, Nov. 4. For more information about the Festival of Words, visit  http//www.festivalofwords.org/




Louisiana Book News is written by Chere Dastugue Coen who writes novels under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her series all begin with a book that's available as a FREE download. 

Festival of Words Youth Writing Contest Winners

The Acadiana Writing Project partners with Festival of Words every year to sponsor the Festival of Words Youth Writing Contest. Hundreds of Acadiana students in grades three through 12 submitted poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction pieces. All submissions were anonymous, for blind judging. Winners will be honored at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, at The Thensted Center, 268 Church St. in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. To learn more about Festival of Words, visit http://www.festivalofwords.org/.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Poetry 
1st: "My Friends" by Krysten Torres, Breaux Bridge Elementary School
2nd: "The Nightmare I will Never Forget" by Nyeela Lewis, Breaux Bridge Elementary School

Fiction
1st: "The Face in the Sun" by Krysten Torres, Breaux Bridge Elementary School
2nd: "Two Bad Ants Travel to Florida" by Ebony Champagne, Breaux Bridge Elementary School
3rd: "Super X" by Ashantay Sampy, Breaux Bridge Elementary School

Creative Non-Fiction
1st: "Solids" by Gavin Gary, Breaux Bridge Elementary School
2nd: "My Name" by Charleston Bevin, Breaux Bridge Elementary School

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Poetry
1st: "Twister" by Brooklyn Meshell, Lafayette Middle School
2nd: "Freedom" by Destiny Royal, Lafayette Middle School
3rd: "That Was Me Then; This is Me Now" by Christa Johnson, Broussard Middle School

Fiction
1st: "Tootsie’s Revenge" by Angelina Jones, Edgar Martin Middle School
2nd: "Fire" by Chloe Baudoin, Broussard Middle School
3rd: "Me Plus Change" by Brooklyn. Money, Broussard Middle School

Creative Non-Fiction
1st: "Crawfish Mayhem" by Teague Bellard, Edgar Martin Middle School
2nd: "The Great, Long, and Exciting Move" by Colton Harrison, Broussard Middle School
3rd: "5th grade, a Whole New World" by Chloe Schexnaider, Broussard Middle School

HIGH SCHOOL

Poetry
1st: "The Picture " by Caroline Gauthier, Iota High School
2nd: "Explaining My Sadness to Him" by Mariaelena Leger, Lafayette High School
3rd: "7 19 p.m." by Alexas Bender, Lafayette High School

Fiction
1st: "Lucky" by Audrey Broussard, Lafayette High School
2nd: "The Chaos Theory" by Kelton Musumeche, New Iberia Senior High School
3rd: "Heartbeat Forest" by Jessica Hackett, Lafayette High School
4th "The Search for Freedom” by Yoani Suarez, Lafayette High School

Creative Non-Fiction
1st: "Painful Bliss" by Kristen Hebert, Iota High School
2nd: "Remember" by Lauren John, Iota High School
3rd: "All Rained Out" by Caden Hudson, Lafayette High School

Cheré Dastugue Coen is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire. She is also the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.