There may be no better way for Riley Ma to close this chapter.
In her final year of eligibility, the Grade 12 student at Bear Creek Secondary School in Barrie earned the Seepe Walters Award — actually capturing it for the second time — during the annual Innisfil ideaLAB and Library Short Story Contest.
Winners across the junior, intermediate and senior categories were named during a presentation at the library’s Lakeshore branch Jan. 19.
Ma’s piece, The Clockwork Princess, explores the role of robots and artificial intelligence in society. Having entered the contest since Grade 5, she lauded the library for sparking her interest in creative writing and continually giving budding wordsmiths the kind of “really good outlet” rarely offered elsewhere.
“I really wanted to write a story that was looking a lot of these things,” she said. “It’s something a lot of us are scared of. I wanted to write this to show that, even with this takeover of things that are seemingly fake and manufactured, there’s still an aspect of humanity that’s very real and can’t be replicated.”
The award also came with a $500 grand prize, and plenty of congratulations from local dignitaries and author and contest judge Melanie Florence.
“I went to seven schools in three days and spoke to over 1,600 students about writing,” Florence said. “I spoke … about the importance of storytelling and stories that connect us. If a story is about grief, the way I experience grief is no different than how kids experience grief.
"Visiting the schools was amazing, but reading the writing that was sent to me was absolutely unbelievable," she added. "There were stories sent in I wish I had written. They were that good. This is a talented bunch of kids.”
In total, there were 152 entries this year — the highest number yet recorded for the contest that started in 2002. Ma also captured first place in the senior category, edging out Camden Cryderman (second), Laura Forgrave (third), Sabrina Guerrero (fourth) and Sumatt Brar (fifth).
Catherine Yuen topped the intermediate division, followed in order from second to fifth by Jane Stroud, Ava Simpson, Madison Cline and Emily Grant.
The junior category was won by Isabella Laing. Jasmin Rajora finished second, Daniel Kotchetkov placed third, Ophelia Berridge Kassam earned fourth and Viktoria Poirier took fifth.
“Thank you to every entrant in the contest for your creativity and perseverance,” library board chair Anne Smith said to the large crowd of kids, family members, dignitaries and library staff gathered Friday night.
Seepe Walters, a founding member of the Innisfil Friends of the Library, was also active in the local historical society, 4-H club and church communities. She worked, too, as a freelance correspondent with the Daily Construction News, taught English to immigrant children and helped with the Barrie Literacy Council before she died in 1995.
The contest is intended to honour her legacy by acknowledging and encouraging the Innisfil area’s many great young writers, Mayor Lynn Dollin said.
“This is absolutely one of my favourite events to come to; I look forward to it every year,” she said. "It's wonderful to see so many creative young minds in one place. I'm amazed. It takes passion and commitment to create something from nothing, and it takes courage to submit your creations to be judged. Bringing creativity and literacy together can be such a powerful tool. We're so lucky our library is committed to developing both of these critical skills in our community."
For Ma, writing comes naturally.
“It’s not really something I have to think about,” she said. “I go home, sit on my laptop and write out whatever I’ve been thinking about. I really like how it gives me that freedom. It’s an escape, almost — an art form. I just really enjoy it.”
For more details on the library, visit innisfilidealab.ca.
