The Annual Stamford Literary Competition

The Annual Stamford Literary Competition 2024

Elementary School Winners

Grade 3 Fiction

      
1st Prize Noah Levi A Letter From My Jersey BCHA
2nd Prize Jackson Svartz Dear Jack BCHA
3rd Prize Kohelet Lubin Letter From Buttercup BCHA
Honorable Mention David Lysenko Lego Table BCHA
       

Grade 3 Nonfiction

      
1st Prize Vincent Ferro Sharks Davenport Ridge
2nd Prize Rian Muthamizhchelvan My Steps into a New Land Hart Magnet School
3rd Prize Sophia Ciocoiu My Forever Home Hart Magnet School
Honorable Mention David Wugalter Israel BCHA
       

Grade 3 Poetry

      
1st Prize Nicholas Milewski Legos Everywhere Davenport Ridge
2nd Prize Lev Kurbanov Stars BCHA
3rd Prize Chaise Faizakoff Corn Maize BCHA
Honorable Mention Avi Redlich Chanukah BCHA
       

Grade 4 Fiction

      
1st Prize Priscilla Toss A Girl Can Dream Mater Salvatoris
2nd Prize Camilla Horsting Athena's Discovery Mater Salvatoris
3rd Prize Sonali Powell The Legend of Teddy Roxbury
Honorable Mention Pheobe Bovay Popstar in Disguise Davenport Ridge
       

Grade 4 Nonfiction

      
1st Prize Max Kaimowitz The Ice Cream Thief BCHA
2nd Prize Maytal Moreen My Trip to New York BCHA
3rd Prize Suriya Nayini Shorter School Day BCHA
Honorable Mention Rebecca Ostroff The Haunted Mansion Ride BCHA
       

Grade 4 Poetry

      
1st Prize Eliza Ostroff When Leticia Went Back BCHA
2nd Prize Eitan Ostrovsky For I Don't Have Friends BCHA
3rd Prize Max Kaimowitz Lightening BCHA
Honorable Mention Grace Angel Beach Music BCHA
       

Grade 5 Fiction

      
1st Prize Eliana DiMattia Grayness Northeast Elementary
2nd Prize Masha Ulyanov Willow, Oh Willow Northeast Elementary
3rd Prize Amelia Willett Ugly Lunch Davenport Ridge
Honorable Mention Nathalie Albornoz Game Escape Davenport Ridge
       

Grade 5 Nonfiction

      
1st Prize Yoni Notik My Power of Yet BCHA
2nd Prize Sally Hennessey No More Pictures on the Wall Mater Salvatoris
3rd Prize Tzvi Lamm Power of Yet BCHA
Honorable Mention Eliana DiMattia Bless This House Northeast Elementary
       

Grade 5 Poetry

      
1st Prize Sally Hennessey Titanic Mater Salvatoris
2nd Prize Eli Lamm The Season of Leaves BCHA
3rd Prize Shia Mosenkis Midnight Hero BCHA
Honorable Mention Eli Weisser The Big Game BCHA

 

Middle School Winners

Grade 6 Fiction

      
1st Prize Ameyaa Agrawal Walking in Maya's Shoes Dolan Middle School
2nd Prize Mia Cooper To Be Seen or Not To Be Seen BCHA
3rd Prize Noa Zizmor Help Me with My Hair! BCHA
Honorable Mention Sophie Brand Quinn and the Mystery Forest BCHA
       

Grade 6 Nonfiction

      
1st Prize Leo Kiley The Frightening Flash Flood Rogers International
2nd Prize Nathan Banyas The Big Game in Florida: A Score Rogers International
3rd Prize Francesca Frost Letting Go Rogers International
Honorable Mention Felix Morfoot My First NBA Game: A Slam Dunk Rogers International
       

Grade 6 Poetry

      
1st Prize Yisroel Speter Autumn is a Sorcerer BCHA
2nd Prize Eva Bomash I Am... BCHA
3rd Prize Elizabeth Kanev Constellation Strawberry Hill School
Honorable Mention Sophie Brand Autumn is a Cop BCHA
       

Grade 7-8 Fiction

      
1st Prize Ashley Peart Our Forever Began in Winter Rippowam Middle School
2nd Prize Gargi Bagwa The Lost Opportunity Strawberry Hill School
3rd Prize Evy Gullette The Birchbark Canoe Home School
Honorable Mention Prisha Jilhewar Self(ie) Portrait Strawberry Hill School
       

Grade 7-8 Nonfiction

      
1st Prize Colette Chu Worse Than the Titanic Chu Home School
2nd Prize Reya Kotha The Cruise Scofield Magnet Middle
3rd Prize Kaylani Gonzalez Influence Rippowam Middle School
Honorable Mention Hilary Ho Mitochondria Dolan Middle School
       

Grade 7-8 Poetry

      
1st Prize Rudrh Nair Bibliophilia Turn of River Middle
2nd Prize Victoria Angel Frustration BCHA
3rd Prize Evan Montague As Time Passes By Dolan Middle School
Honorable Mention Aarna Agrawal Inimitable Dolan Middle School

 

High School Winners

Grade 9-10 Fiction

      
1st Prize Darcy Churchill-Joell Our Perfect Night Stamford High School
2nd Prize Ava Homicki The Sky's Secret With Me Westhill High School
3rd Prize Ruby Jimenez A Friend: A Tale of Isolation to Connection Westhill High School
Honorable Mention Ritaj Nouh School of Elemental Magic Westhill High School
       

Grade 9-10 Nonfiction

      
1st Prize Isha Kotha Boulders Stamford High School
2nd Prize Princess Stessy Hyppolite My Testimony Stamford High School
       

Grade 9-10 Poetry

      
1st Prize Angela Russell Let It Fly Westhill High School
2nd Prize Marvi Pabrekar ...Alone Westhill High School
3rd Prize Darcy Churchill-Joell A Drawing of Hope Stamford High School
Honorable Mention Ritaj Nouh The Smell of Blood Westhill High School
       

Grade 11-12 Fiction

      
1st Prize Djemima Duvernat Confession of the Girl with the Mask Westhill High School
2nd Prize Keira Lubliner Trapped Stamford High School
3rd Prize Jayden Lubin The Man I Bumped Into Stamford High School
Honorable Mention Joseph John Salvatore The Percentage of Twofold Stamford High School
       

Grade 11-12 Nonfiction

      
1st Prize Keira Lubliner Learning to Love Stamford High School
2nd Prize Emily Sherman Saying Goodbye Greenwich Academy
3rd Prize Mey Silvey Canim Dedum: My Dear Grandfather Stamford High School
Honorable Mention Ella Leferman Dandelions in the Sidewalk: Finding Power in Unexpected Places AITE
       

Grade 11-12 Poetry

      
1st Prize Tamara Segal When the Wolf Cries Westhill High School
2nd Prize Elias Constanza Snow AITE
3rd Prize Desiree Nieves Who Am I Stamford High School
Honorable Mention Emma Bernfeld The Monster in the Dark AITE

Entrance Guidelines

Eligibility

Students in grades 3-12 who live in or attend school in Stamford.

Categories

Fiction
Invented by the author's imagination or made up.

Nonfiction
Memory of actual event or report or opinion. If source materials are used they should be listed at the end of the piece.

Poetry
An expression of feelings and ideas using distinctive style and rhythm.

Entries judged separately for Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grades 7-8, Grades 9-10, Grades 11-12.

Submissions

Each student may submit only one entry per category.
Each student may submit entries in two categories only.

Originality

Entries must be original work of one individual author.

Length

Fiction entries limited to 1500 words.
Non-fiction limited to 1500 words.
Poetry limited to two pages.
Entries that exceed the limit will not be submitted to the judges.

Format

Entries must be in English, typed, single-spaced, using a simple 10-point font.
NO color text.
NO illustrations.
NO staples.
Word docs only.

Procedure

Entry form must be attached to the online submission form.
Only Word docs will be accepted.
Please use the name of your entry as the name of your Word doc.
A separate entry form is required for each submission.

Deadline

All entries must be submitted no later than February 9, 2024.

Winners will be notified prior to the award ceremony this spring.

Judging Guidelines

Criteria

There may be four winners in each category: First, second, third place, and one honorable mention.

Creativity (50%)

Insightful content based on personal experience and/or issues of personal interest. Originality and appropriateness of topic are essential.

Structure (25%)

Organization: Clarity of thought, clear focus, coherent expression, development of theme (opening, development, closing).
Fiction: Present and resolve conflict or problem affecting characters.
Non-Fiction: Logical development with supporting arguments or examples.
Poetry: Indicate understanding of format and structure, and demonstrate command of the elements of poetry.

Technique (25%)

Accuracy in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Ability to use punctuation conventionally or for effect. Language appropriate to subject and audience. Proper use of vocabulary - appropriate choice of words. Variety of sentence structure. Presentation should be neat, easy to follow, easy to read, with clear, clean margins.

Submission Form

Entire form must be completed to qualify.