Eligibility and Rules:
- Students (from any grade) must be attending the school in September 2022.
- Entrants must be legal residents of BC.
- Only one entry per person.
- Only single-author stories (no co-authored stories).
- Family members of HMN employees and contest judges are ineligible.
- Applicants must submit their stories in English, and in the language of the interviewed senior.
- The translation into the ethnic language can be made by a parent or relative if the student cannot write in that language.
- The students must ensure that the translations in the ethnic languages are grammatically correct and without spelling mistakes, ready for publishing.
- The students may submit high resolution pictures of the interviewed person. Written parental approval is necessary if the students want to be included in pictures with their interviewed seniors.
- Minors must have a parent or legal guardian sign an authorization form in order to participate.
Entry Procedure:
- Student’s name:
- Birthdate:
- School:
- Email:
- Phone:
- Legal guardian’s name (if applicable):
- Email:
- Phone:
- Explain why you are interested in this writing contest:
- Who will support you with your writing process:
- Do you commit to meeting the programme deadlines?
Story Format:
- Story must be about a Canadian senior.
- Story must be inspirational and positive, highlighting the subject person’s qualities and life accomplishments. Description of resilience despite obstacles and hardship is encouraged.
- Story must be submitted in English and in the language of the interviewed senior.
- Final manuscript must be saved in the DOCX format.
- Don’t use clichés, for example; “in the nick of time”, or “head over heels.”
- Don’t use idioms, for example; “stabbed in the back”, “costs an arm and a leg.”
- Use short sentences, most non-fiction is written at an eighth-grade reading level.
- Use short paragraphs, nothing turns off a reader more than an imposing block of text staring them in the face.
Word Count:
- No more than 5,000 words.
- One current photo of the senior.
- If the student writer is a minor and wants to be included in the photo, parental consent is required.
- Please see the attached Golden Roots flier, and our website www.goldenroots.ca
A suggested outline for your story:
- Background, place of birth, when moved to Canada, where living now, with what family members.
- Challenges and accomplishments as a child, youth, adult.
- Challenges and accomplishment as a senior.
- What Senior appreciated most about life.
- Senior’s wisdom pearls for today’s young people.
- Great Cause/Transcendence.
- What the student discovered/learned while participating in this project.
