Page 15’s twelfth Annual High School Writing Contest has returned with an all-new theme featuring horror. From subtle uneasiness to downright terror, it’s time to think about what makes you afraid and to explore all the different ways you experience fear. Page 15 acknowledges that the genre of horror is as diverse as the things that scare us and welcome all kinds of horror.
Along with an opportunity for fifteen submissions in Central Florida to be published in an anthology of student writing, Page 15 has partnered with Florida State Poets Association to offer three of the selected poems to be featured in “Of Poets & Poetry,” a publication of the Florida State Poets Association. Entries are open to poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or essays, with the winners attending a book release party and signing.
Two OSCA students, Evelyn Tippett, currently a sophomore, and Geraldine Artiste, currently a senior, offer a unique perspective as creative writers who were accepted in the past. Evelyn was only in ninth grade when she was accepted into Page 15’s 2023 contest of “The Things We Don’t Say.”
“I wanted to convey the struggles of speaking out, especially for those with anxiety.” she said. When asked what opportunities came with winning the contest, Evelyn says, “I was able to work with other writers, as well as receive outside critique. The experience of receiving critique from strangers, as they don’t sugarcoat things, helped make my piece feel tighter and more put together.”
Geraldine, another OCSA Creative Writer who was accepted in 2023 said, “I wrote about the struggle of a student of color and an immigrant standing up for the pledge. It was always easy for others, but for me, standing up for a country that didn’t stand up for me had its difficulties. As black women, we are always described as angry when we are simply stating what we feel. In a slam poem I could say what I wanted and felt supported by the staff at Page 15.” Geraldine also described how she was partnered up with an artist who draws a unique illustration based on her poem. “I got published in a book and I got a plaque, and that made me feel good. I’ve got some bragging rights.”
As a nonprofit organization, their mission is to promote creativity through storytelling, provide the chance for children to speak their truth, and empower them. This contest is an opportunity to grow and a time to experiment with words and your imagination, wherever it may lead you. Submissions close January 31st, and you can find the link to the contest at: Page 15’s Annual High School Writing Contest – Page 15.
