Here's the 2019 Shakespeare Selfie student writing challenge shortlist
CBC Books challenged students from Grade 7 to 12 to write a soliloquy or monologue in the voice of a Shakespearean character based on a prominent news, pop culture or current affairs event from the last year (April 2018 to April 2019). Over 300 students responded, tackling a wide range of subjects — from cannabis legalization to mass shootings and Brexit negotiations.
Two winners will each receive one year of OwlCrate, a subscription service that sends a book and book-related gifts each month, as well as 50 books for their school libraries. They will be chosen by YA author Kenneth Oppel, author of books like Inkling, The Nest, Every Hidden Thing and Airborn.
The winners will be announced on June 7.
Here are the 20 finalists — 10 in the Grade 7 to 9 category and 10 in the Grade 10 to 12 category — as chosen by a team of readers at CBC Books. You can read the 2019 entries below.
Grade 7 to 9 category
- A Broken Bond by David Amm from Oakville, Ont.
- Hark, Our Lady Weeps Aflame! by Emma Belyk from Osler, Sask.
- The Cyclone Incantation by Samuel Budge from Ottawa, Ont.
- Void Between Worlds by Vaishnavi Jagadeeswaran from Oakville, Ont.
- What must be done by Jason Ma from Oakville, Ont.
- Drowning by Saskia Nitika Coossa from Bolton, Ont.
- Long Live The King by Elena Osipyan from Toronto, Ont.
- A Dreadful Rot by Arthur Taylor from Nanaimo, B.C.
- A Fool's Paradise by Kaylee Tu from Toronto, Ont.
- Brown Siren by Emmanuel Umweni from Toronto, Ont.
Grade 10 to 12 category
- What One Wants by Fatin Aldoum from London, Ont.
- The Depths of Wickedness by Jaleelah Ammar from Toronto, Ont.
- A Fire Burns by Kali Coles from South River, Ont.
- The Ketchup War by Anna Fenton from Ross Ferry, N.S.
- Vision Aflame by Erika Friesen from Oak Lake, Man.
- Behind the Veil by Rida Hassan from London, Ont.
- For the taking by Katherine Latosinsky from London, Ont.
- O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell by Yolanda Llamazares González from Charlottetown, P.E.I.
- The Woeful Promenade by Hillary Mak from Toronto, Ont.
- If Thou Canst Swim by Holly Schultz from Toronto, Ont.