Willamette Writers is happy to announce the first place winners in the Oregon Letters About Literature 2016 contest.
Congratulations to Chaevin Hong, Alexandra Sjobeck, and Julien Comardelle for their Oregon Letters About Literature 2016 winning letters!
Chaevin (Level I) wrote an inspirational letter to Holly Goldberg Sloan about her novel Counting By 7s, while Alexandra (Level II) composed an insightful and powerful letter to Renee Watson about her poem “Black like me.” Julien (Level III) chose to write to Laini Taylor, author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and he impressed the judges with his connection to the author and skillful writing.
Their letters have been sent to the Center for the Book in Washington DC for the national round of judging. We wish Chaevin, Alexandra, and Julien all the best!
Author Fonda Lee
A celebratory event honoring all of Oregon’s Letters About Literature participants will be held on May 23rd from 6 – 7:30pm in the US Bank Room at the Multnomah County Central Library at 801 SW 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97205. Fonda Lee, the author of Zeroboxer, and an Oregon Book Award and Andre Norton Award nominee, will be the featured speaker.
Thank you to all the judges and participants in this year’s Letters About Literature competition. It’s been an incredible experience, and Willamette Writers is looking forward to hosting again next year.
Letters About Literature is a national contest designed to promote reading and writing. To enter, young readers write a personal letter to an author, living or dead, explaining how that author’s work changed their way of thinking about the world or themselves.
The 23rd annual writing contest is made possible by a generous grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, with additional support from gifts to the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Local sponsors include the Oregon Reading Association, and three divisions of the Oregon Library Association: Oregon Association of School Libraries, Oregon Young Adult Network, and the Children’s Services Division.
Thank you so much to these sponsors!