The Young Writers Contest is sponsored annually by Friends of the Chappaqua Library.
Chappaqua, NY— A 41st Young Writers Contest Awards ceremony was held on June 2 at the Chappaqua Library. The annual writers’ contest held for middle and high school students was created to recognize and encourage emerging young writers in New Castle. Friends of the Chappaqua Library, the fundraising committee for the library, sponsors this contest. Membership donations and the annual Book Sale support the awards. The awards are divided into categories of non-fiction, fiction and poetry.
Following the ceremony, the Friends also presented its first inaugural “Linda J. Zhang Award for Writing Achievement” to Greeley senior Erica Dunne who has won multiple awards in the Young Writers Contest in all three categories. The Linda J. Zhang Foundation, https://lindazhang.org/home/, was established by Linda Zhang’s parents Mingbao Zhang and Li Tang after Linda passed away last year. This first time writing award is made possible by the foundation, in its inaugural year, in remembrance of Linda. The foundation was also established in commemoration of Linda’s passion for the environment. Her parents have raised $32,000.00 thus far in her honor.
Chappaqua Library director Andrew Farber thanked everyone involved in the event. The President of the Friends of the Chappaqua Library Katherine Whymark quoted from Star Wars giving the young writers hope to continue their writing endeavors. “Hope is like the sun. If you only believe it when you can see it you’ll never make it through the night.”
The recipients of the Young Writers Contest Awards were as follows:
High School
Non Fiction:
- Alexa Troob, 1st place
- Tuan Anh Dang, 1st place
- Reshmita Nayudu, 1st place
- Fiona Nelson, Ashlee Rothenberg, Honorable Mentions
Fiction:
- Hudson Warm, 1st placew
- Sumer Moudgill, 2nd place
- Rene Hollister and Summer Moudgill, 3rd place
- Angelique Wheeler and Luke Montano, Honorable Mentions
Poetry:
- Claire Nam, 1st place
- Angelique Wheeler, 2nd place
- Marko Arbolda 3rd place
- Devisi Goel and Mia Vieira , Honorable Mentions
Middle School:
Non Fiction:
- Deven Amrute, 1st place
- Idan Yedid 2nd place
- Naveen Talla 3rd place
- Jenna Rosenberg, Meadow Zhang and Noah Rock received Honorable Mention
Fiction:
- Logan Kreisberg, 1st Place
- Meadow Zhang, 2nd Place
- Nikhil Singhal, 3rd Place
- Warren Fu and Austin Brennan, Honorable Mention
Poetry:
- Aadhya Vihil, 1st Place
- Eliza Fink, 2nd Place
- Sophia Levenson, 3rd Place
- Megan Slomsky, Honorable Mention