School One and Goat Hill are pleased to announce the winners of Rhode Island’s only short fiction writing competition for students.
This year’s twenty winning students crafted stories with themes that tackle a deadly flu, ghosts, teens disappearing into their cell phones, family bonding, and the past colliding with the present. And all of the stories convey a powerful sense of Rhode Island. Their stories take us to an art opening in Newport and Brickley’s for ice cream sundaes. We also drink bubble tea on Thayer Street, travel to Federal Hill and sit dockside to East Matununk.
All stories are judged as blind submissions—none of the judges know the names of the submitters. Goat Hill’s Hester Kaplan and Taylor Polites judged the final round of stories with guest judges and YA author Hayley Krischer and children’s book author Jacob Kramer. Over 50 readers participated in this year’s first-round judging, reading over 175 entries to Write Rhode Island.
“From beginning to end, this competition was designed for Rhode Island’s young writers. We wanted to provide students, and teachers, with writing and publishing opportunities outside the classroom,” said Diana DeCesaris Champa, Director of Literary Engagement at School One and competition’s coordinator. “All of the students who submitted this year had creative and remarkable ways of expressing their experiences and perspectives. We are excited to now share the winning stories.”
Write Rhode Island has been made possible thanks to support from BankRI, Mary Dexter Chafee Fund, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Rhode Island Department of Education, teachers, librarians, and educators from around the state.
Write Rhode Island 2022 Winning Stories
Breakfast for Button
Willow Campbell
Home Schooled
Parting Colors
Karuna Lohman
Quest Montessori
The Boy and the Hidden Truth
Hunter Robbins
Bishop Hendricken High School
The Eastern Sky
Emmett Van Leer
Barrington High School
Write Rhode Island 2022 Notable Stories
Mother Nature’s Son
Ava Andrew
Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Keep Your Head Up!
Karina Asare
Saint Patrick Academy
Heir of the Lost Ones
Salim Davis
Quest Montessori
Ocean State
Alessandra Gonzalez
Saint Patrick Academy
A Birthday Gift
Delaney Gouveia
Rogers High School
Her Doubt Was Her Downfall
Angalie Jungra
West Warwick High School
Goodbye
Esper by Majorie Leary
Wilbur ad McMahon Schools
Hero
Julianne Manlove
Chariho Regional High School
What’s an Oaker?
Evan Manni
West Warwick High School
Rhode Island (Plus a little magic)
Sadie McCann
Wickford Middle School
Cousins Come to Rhode Island
Bridget Pouliot
Warwick Veterans Memorial Middle School
Omerta
Annabel Rarick
East Greenwich High School
Free at Last
Emma Reyes
West Warwick High School
A Glass Full of Emotion
Abigail Sweetland
West Warwick High School
Jack’s Crab
Julianna Williams
Wickford Middle School
Heart and Eye
Seoyon Kim
Wheeler School
