John Cabot University Announces Winners of 2018 Italy Writes Contest
On June 12th, JCU recognized high school students for merit in creative writing in English, in Fiction and Non-Fiction categories. Awards were presented by this year’s Writer in Residence Dolen Perkins-Valdez who warmly encouraged students in their creative writing efforts. Perkins-Valdez has been a frequent participant in the Writers in Schools program in the USA. She has visited nearly every public high school in the District of Columbia to talk about the importance of reading and writing. Professor Tara Keenan-Thomson, Coordinator of John Cabot University’s Writing Center and instructor of English, congratulated students for their talent in writing in a second or sometimes even third language.
Italy Writes 2018 received 22 submissions from students attending 12 different high schools in 7 Italian cities: Pomezia, Anzio, Ladispoli, Naples, Venice, Gorizia, and Rome. Italy Writes has become somewhat of a tradition among Italian high school students. JCU’s selection process is completely blind to guarantee impartiality. This year, Italy Writes welcomed an innovative approach to the contest. Students of Professor Ida Balzano at Chris Cappell College, Liceo Classico (Anzio) submitted two entries that were written as a group project.
The panel of three judges was composed of JCU professors Andrew Rutt and Tara Keenan-Thomson and Hugh Ferrer from the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program.
We are pleased to see this contest continue to gain interest among students, teachers, and judges. Congratulations to students, their teachers and parents! Few writers become successful without significant support and encouragement along the way.
Winners of Italy Writes 2018 Contest with Professor Tara Keenan-Thompson, JCU Writer in Residence Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and their teachers
Italy Writes 2018 Winners:
FICTION – AWARDS
Honorable Mention, Fiction – Chiara Gentile, Liceo Classico-Linguistico Aristofane, Rome for ‘HOME, Heart On My Earth’;
3rd Place Prize, Fiction – (€100 gift certificate), Asia Montinaro, Elisa Pompili, Michelle Montinaro and Nnenna Emeghebo, Chris Cappell College, Liceo Classico, Anzio for ‘Alive Like Dust’;
2nd Place Prize, Fiction – (€200 gift certificate), Alessandro Piccirilli, Liceo Scientifico Statale B. Pascal, Pomezia for ‘Obsessive-Compulsive Nightmare’;
1st Place Prize, Fiction – (€300 gift certificate), Lorenzo La Bella, L.S.S. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Rome for ‘Solace’;
NON-FICTION – AWARDS
Honorable Mention, Non-Fiction, Nika Tomsić, ISIS Gregorčič – Trubar, Gorizia for ‘Lack of Critical Thinking and Freedom of Thought’;
3rd Place Prize, Non-Fiction – (€100 gift certificate), Andrew John Murugan, Liceo Scientifico G. Keplero, Rome for ‘The Existence of God and His Relationship with Evil’;
2nd Place Prize, Non-Fiction – (€200 gift certificate), Marco Carbone, ISIS E. De Nicola, Naples, for ‘The Balcony of Safety Alberta Levi’;
1st Place Prize, Non-Fiction – (€300 gift certificate), Paolo Bilisco, Liceo Scientifico S. Pertini, Ladispoli, will read from ‘The Genesis of Words’.
