Put Pen to Paper 2026

Welcome to the 19th Annual Put Pen to Paper short story contest! Students from grades 6-12 are invited to submit their short stories of 1500 words maximum, on any topic of their choosing to our panel of judges. Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in 2 age groups, Junior for Grades 6-8 and Senior for Grades 9-12. Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on November 14. 

 

Contest rules: 

One entry per student, and all students must live in or attend school in Milton. To submit a story, please either use the JUNIOR FORM for grades 6-8 or SENIOR FORM for grades 9-12, or email it as an attachment to Corrina.mcgill@beinspired.ca during Culture Days between September 19-October 4, 2026. Submissions will not be accepted after 11:59 pm on October 4.

In the body of the email, please include the student’s first and last names, grade, story title, and story word count. The title and page number should appear at the top each page. Please do not put your name on your story, as they will be judged anonymously. Entries must be typed, single sided, double-spaced, using size 12 Times New Roman font. 

All works submitted must be original. Any use of generative AI, including Chat GPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, etc. is strictly forbidden. By entering this contest, you are consenting to have your work, name, and photograph used for promotional purposes in local media and online.

 

2025 winners:

Junior winners:

1st place: A Stitch of Absence by Layan Marmash

2nd place: The Blade of Ellasviel by Rameen Khan

3rd place: Give It Up, Gaby by Sophia Miculinic

 

Senior winners:

1st place: Bitter Taste of Copper by Deianarah Riquelme

2nd place: Between Threads and Pages by Zainab Ahmad

3rd place: Life In The Residential Schools by Neora Lobo