February 2025:

Theme: Food

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POETRY:
1st Prize: Swati Bagga for Holding my Harvest in Hand

2nd Prize: Joanna Sherry Mitchell for Cooking

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MEMOIR:

1st Prize: Ricki Dorn for Manners Big Boy

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SHORT STORY:

1st Prize: Jo Avent for A Piece of Meat

2nd Prize: Jonathan Rose for Breakfast at Wolfie's

3rd Prize: Dale Alan Young for You Must Be a Yankee

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SPECIAL MERIT AWARD WITH SILVER SHILLING goes to Jo Avent for A Piece of Meat

 

December 2024/January 2025 Combined:

December: Holidays Past and Present

January: Unexpected New Beginnings

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POETRY:
1st Prize: Connie Goodman-Milone for A New Beginning

2nd Prize: Joanne Sherry Mitchell for Drinking Became a Habit
3rd Prize: Jonathan Rose for A Familiar Story

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MEMOIR:

1st Prize: Leslie Rowe for The Gift
2nd Prize: Rita Morrissey for New Beginning

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SHORT STORY:

1st Prize: Arlene Sacks for Travels with Sam

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SPECIAL MERIT AWARD WITH SILVER SHILLING goes to Leslie Rowe for The Gift

 

November 2024:

Death, The Dead, or Dying. 

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POETRY:
1st Prize: Marlene McLeary Graham for Absolute Truth”

2nd Prize: Swati Bagga, for Buddha Under Bodhi Tree
3rd Prize: Joanne Sherry Mitchell for Death.

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MEMOIR:

1st Prize: Pat Bonner Milone for Traces of Diego
2nd Prize: Javier Castano for Can’t Count No More Dead

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NOVEL (Chapter):

1st Prize: Lele (How Innocence Died In a Burlap Sack)

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SPECIAL MERIT AWARD WITH SILVER SHILLING goes to Pat Bonner Milone for Traces of Diego

 

October 2024 Theme:

 For October, Jeffrey is giving a "Free Month."

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Choose your own topic! Anything Goes!

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POETRY:
1st Prize: Jonathan Rose, for Don't You Remember Me?

2nd Prize: Walter Harris, for Infinite Reflections
3rd Prize: Swati Bagga, for Dandelions

Honorable Mention: J. C. Ledakis for Lemon Lozenge Moon

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MEMOIR:

1st Prize: Walter Harris: My First Encounter
2nd Prize: Rita Morrissey for Emergency!

3rd Prize: Walter Harris for My First Drag

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SHORT STORY:

1st Prize: Don Daniels: Writers Block,
Explained.
2nd Prize:  Mark Lew for Hallowe'en

3rd Prize: Amy Nicole Naim for The Polka Dot Bag

HISTORICAL FICTION:
1st Prize​: Jo Avent for Osbert and the Cathedral

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SPECIAL MERIT AWARD WITH SILVER SHILLING goes to Don Daniels, for Writers Block, Explained.

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September 2024:

Theme:

A magical place which, once visited, may not ever be visited again. (Or, perhaps it may!)

Examples:

Shangri-La, Brigadoon, Treasure Island, The House At Pooh Corner

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September Winners!

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August Winners:

POETRY:
1st Prize: Jonathan Rose, for Disloyal;

2nd Prize: Swati Bagga, for Inner Circle
3rd Prize: Javier Castano, for Nine Long Aprils
 

 

MEMOIR:

1st Prize: Javier Castano for The Chain and the Box

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​ SPECIAL MERIT AWARD SILVER SHILLING GOES TO:

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Javier Castano for The Chain and the Box

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August 2024:

The theme for August must include a mirror, looking glass, or any reflective surface.

 

August Winners:

POETRY:
1st Prize: Javier Castano, for Plastic Mirror
2nd Prize: Jonathan Rose, for Frying Pan
3rd Prize: Rita Morrissey, for Mirror Reflections of Years Gone By.
Honorable Mention, Rita Morrissey for Reflections  In A Mirror

 

SHORT STORY:

1st Prize: Jo Avent for The Big Spoon

 

SPECIAL MERIT AWARD SILVER SHILLING GOES TO:

 Jo Avent, for The Big Spoon​​

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July 2024 Topic:

"An article of clothing must be the critical element of your entry." It can be a crown, a ring, a pair of glasses, a suit of armor; or even a mask, or a wig or a shroud. Or a dog's collar.

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SHORT STORY:

1st Prize: Mark Lew; Blind Spot

2nd Prize:
Javier Castano: Long Pants, Button-down Shirt, and Shiny Shoes

 

MEMOIR:

1st Prize:
Gail Tucker-Griffith: The Signet Ring
2nd Prize: Rita Morrissey:

Little Black Book

3rd Prize:

Beverly Melasi-Haag:
The Crown That I Wear

 

POETRY:
1st Prize: Javier Castano: The Slides

2nd Prize: ​Joanne Sherry Mitchell
The Joy Of Pajamas

3rd Prize: Anita Mitchell
Best $29 I Ever Spent

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NOVEL;​ 
1st Prize: Javier Castano: 
Black Hawk Blues, From "Leather."

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The Special Merit Award goes to Mark Lew for "Blind Spot"

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June 2024:

An exotic plant received as a gift changes someone's life.

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SHORT STORY:

1st Prize: Beverly Melasi-Haag; The Enchanted Blossom

2nd Prize: Carla Albano: Saviors Come In All Forms

3rd Prize: Robert Jacober: A Gift From A Stranger

MEMOIR:

1st Prize: Ricki Dorn: Once Upon A
Jade Plant

POETRY:
1st Prize: Swati Bagga:The Rudraksha Tree

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The Special Merit Award goes to Beverly Melasi-Haag for The Enchanted Blossom.

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May 2024:

Good or bad advice given by a (non-human) animal.

​Short Story:

1st Prize: Javier Castano,  Tom The Cat. A Prison Story,
    Javier also wins this month's Special Merit Silver English shilling award.

  

Memoir:

1st Prize: Jonathan Rose: Polly, the Parrot, and Me

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Poetry:

1st Prize: Swati Bagga: Blue Buddha Of Water.

April 2024
A person, when grown up, realized  that their parent is not who they thought they were. 

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Short Story:

1st Prize: Jo Avent, A Son's Reflection,
    Jo Avent also wins this month's Special Merit Silver English shilling award.

  

2nd Prize: Pat Bonner Milone:  Marlena's Secret

Memoir:

1st Prize: Beverly Melasi-Haag The Truth About Grandma

2nd Prize: Ricki Dorn, What A Surprise!

3rd Prize: Javier Castano (Jay Cano): Discernment

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Poetry:

1st Prize: Javier Castano (Jay Cano) Good Bye, My Dear Old Father

2nd Prize: Carla Albano, The Math Teacher

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Novel: Javier Castano (Jay Cano): Chapter 27.

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