Congratulations to the GCWA 2023 Writing Contest Winners:
Fiction:
1st — Brad Burt-Ft. Myers, FL/Ontario, Canada— But He Didn’t
2nd — Patti M. Walsh-Ft. Myers, FL — Ghosts of Clotheslines Past
3rd — Pauline Hayton-Naples, FL — Somewhere in England
Nonfiction:
1st — Pamela Pohlman-Ft. Myers, FL— A Picture of Hell
2nd — Patricia Sheehy-Estero, FL— Searching for Me
3rd — MaryLou Williams-Ft. Myers, FL — Audrey Hepburn and Me
Poetry:
1st — Sandy Dahlhofer-Lake Placid, FL— Snowflake
2nd — Amy Pontius-Ft. Myers, FL/East Fairfield, VT — Moon Dance
3rd — Grace Brendel-Cape Coral, FL — The Land Before This
Youth:
1st — Eric Zhu-West, Roxbury, MA— Right Hand Raised
2nd — Kurukulasuri ya Fernando-Ft. Myers, FL — Perfect Little Things
3rd — Stormi Thomas-Lake Mary, FL— Secret Miracles
Thank you to our Sponsors
2022 Winners
Fiction/Children’s Stories (these categories were combined and judged together according to our guidelines, due to the low number of entries in each.
1st — Leah Miller — Terror in December (Children’s Stories)
2nd — Mary Charles — Counterculture ( Fiction)
3rd — Nancy Leake — Susie Spider Looks for a Friend (Children’s Stories)
Nonfiction:
1st — Deborah Burghardt — Dream Your Ink
2nd — Diane Parnell — A Slip of the Scalpel
3rd — Sally Basmajian — The Field
Poetry:
1st — Megan Dalziel — Maritime Muse
2nd — Debbie Watz — Bayou Sunset
3rd — Paul Anthony — Minimum Wage-Brianna
Youth:
1st — Nishini Fernando — Life is for the Living
2nd — Ryan Lee — A Soldier During the Great War
3rd — Keven Lacayo — Death
2021 Winners
1st — K.J. (Kathy) Boyd — Too Many Kids
2nd — Mariah Julio — Where is Everything?
3rd — Nancy Leake — Sammy Snail’s Wild Ride
1st — Vic Larson — Drafted
2nd — Carol Light — A Tough Nut to Crack
3rd — Pat McAnulty — The White Side of Aurora
1st — Jeanne Meeks — Ode to Otis
2nd — Geneva Kelly — Ready or Not
3rd — Alina Steele — Mrs. Murphy
1st — Jeannette Batko — Critique-Mystique
2nd — Maya Fleischmann — Patience Stillwater’s Sestina
3rd — Teresa Falsani — A Single Dolphin
Poetry — Christopher Kozlowski — Silencing the Star of David
Fiction — Samadhi Salazar — The Mother of All Natures
Nonfiction — Nishini Fernando — The Wicked Wall of Water
Carolina Solomon — Sense and Uniform
Claire Hong — The Death Lake
Claire Hong — ghost
Claire Hong — divided
Euelin Rienzo — Our Patchworked Skeleton
Georgiana Muresan — The Unknown
Jaansi Parsa — The Magic of Music
Nishini Fernando — Blindfold
Peyton Sidweil — Political Climate
Samandhi Salazar — Nourishment With a Side of Horror
Alexis Davis — Shadows of Stonewall Inn
Jonathan Hong — The Limousine Driver Saves the Day
Katherine Short —The Mirror
Nishini Fernando — Unite
Nonfiction
Addisyn Nadwodny — Farewell Pearl Bing Bing
2020 Winners!
[L to R] Melissa Panneton, Maya Fleischman, Andrew Conlyn, Nancy Leake, Mary Lou Williams, Christie Zarria
Children’s Stories
1st place — Paper, the Airplane by Lynne Blackburn
2nd place — The Lonely Bear by Andrew Conlyn
3rd place — The Picnic by Nancy Leake
Fiction
1st place — Neighborhood Watch by Maya Fleischmann
2nd place — Conquer Your Fears by Kristen Taylor
3rd place — When the Bough Breaks by Pauline Hayton
Honorable Mention (Youth) — Circus Man by Arnav Adi
Nonfiction:
1st place — Missing Neil by Lorraine McCann
2nd place — The Lesson I Learned in Sister Regina’s Class by Mary Lou Williams
3rd place — Lucy, You’ve Got Some ‘Splaining To Do by Christie Zarria
Poetry:
1st place — The Concert by Melissa Panneton
2nd place — The Downfall of Cousin Leaf by Lynne Blackburn
3rd place — Morning by J. Bradley Burt
Children’s Stories
1st place — Oliver Goes Exploring by Nancy Leake
2nd place — Pointless, The Misfit Star by Mariah Julio
3rd place — Three Cheers for Emilio by Elizabeth Weiss Volstadt
Fiction
1st place — Thirteen by F.J. Talley
2nd place — The Trophy by K.J. Boyd
3rd place — Sweet taste of Success by Pauline Hayton
Nonfiction:
1st place — Unvarnished Truth by Bob Nelson
2nd place — Kay’s Eternal Garden by Geri McArdle
3rd place — Jus’ a Bus Ride by Michael Boyd
Poetry:
1st place — Decent/Desent by Nick Sweet
2nd place — Child of the Sea by Megan Dalziel
3rd place — She Walks the Decks Alone by Lona Haskins
Children’s Stories
1st place — Lola BaJola and The Fly by Laura Marske
2nd place — The Curious Gray Mouse and The Christmas Tree by Martha Jeffers
3rd place — Pixel, the Filthy-Footed Feline by Mariah Julio
Fiction
1st place — Marked For Life by Sandy Dahlhofer
2nd place — Good Night, Have a Nice Sleep by Jan Nieman
3rd place — Pick Me by Wendy Halloren
Nonfiction:
1st place — Where the Action Is by David Aiken
2nd place — Swinging Back to Life by Geneva Kelly
3rd place — The Apartment by Rick Urban
Poetry:
1st place — Hurricane by Sharon Whitehill
2nd place — Caloosahatchee by Gary McLouth
3rd place — The River by Carmine Lombardo
2017 Winners!
Poetry
1st place — When We Came Home by Mary Beth Lundgren
2nd place — Sowing Seeds by Joan Heller Winokur
3rd place — Psyche’s Rhumba by Dan Reed England
Fiction
1st place — So This Guy Walks into a Bar by Judy Marksteiner
2nd place — City Lawyer by Bill Wilson
3rd place — To Name the Name of Your Father by Martin Nakell
Nonfiction:
1st place — China’s Big Balancing Act by Rose Giro
2nd place — Courage With a Small c by Patricia Sheehy
3rd place — The Riverview Melting Pot by Jan Nieman
Children’s Fiction:
1st place — A Day at the Circus by Martha Jeffers
2016 Winners!
Poetry
1st place — “Year End Giving” by Teresa B. Falsani
2nd place — “Acceptance” by Richard H. Fox
3rd place — “Silence” by Lori Izral
Fiction
1st place — “Disappointed” by Jan Nieman
2nd place — “Single Black Roses” by Richard Rimrodt
3rd place — “Crows” by Judy Loose
Honorable Mention — Terry Wright “A Time . . .”
Nonfiction:
1st place — “Life Lessons” by Patricia Sheehy
2nd place — “Teeth” by Judy Loose
3rd place — “Bathing an Elephant is a Big Job” by Gillian Birch
2015 Winners!
Fiction:
First Place – “Billy Hurts” by Jim Marcotte
Second Place – “The Shaman” by Frankie Patman Maguire
Third Place – “Boy with One Shoe” by Richard Rimrodt
Non-fiction:
First Place – “Smoke and Fire” by Eva Romanczak
Poetry:
First Place – “The Final Journey” by Barbara Rohde
Second Place –“It’s a Boy” by Dan Reed England
Third Place – “Thanksgiving” by Joyce Berrian Ferrari
Children’s:
First Place – “Tommy the Leaf” by Nancy Leake
The winners will be published in the Ft. Myers Magazine summer edition.