Ottawa – Ottawa Public Library is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Awesome Authors Writing Contest. Once again, Ottawa’s young writers and illustrators have demonstrated outstanding creativity and talent.
With over 270 submissions received, the judging panel—Catherine Austen, Apollo the Child, Amelinda Bérubé, Pierre-Luc Bélanger, and Éric Péladeau—faced the challenging task of selecting the winning entries.
Gratitude is extended to the Friends of Ottawa Public Library Association for their generous support, without which the contest would not have been possible.
The winning works will be published in a special anthology, available in December 2025.
Meet the winners of the 2025 Awesome Authors Contest today!
- 2025 Book cover / Couverture de livre 2025
Mustafa Abu-Dieh (16 years old | 16 ans)
9-12 Category | Catégorie des 9 à 12 ans
Poetry (English) | Poésie (anglais)
- 1st / 1ère place
Roy Tung (12 years old | 12 ans), École secondaire publique Gisèle-Lalonde, The Morning Quiet - 2nd / 2ième place
Mavis Beatty (10 years old | 10 ans), Kanata Montessori, Stars - 3rd / 3ième place
Joy Odoom (12 years old | 12 ans), Time
Poésie (français) | Poetry (French)
- 1st / 1ère place
Chloe Maelys Cheuteu Otten (11 years old | 11 ans), École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Bernadette, L’Étoile descundeu du ciel - 2nd / 2ième place
Jules Depayras (10 years old | 10 ans), Lycée Claudel, L’automne - 3rd / 3ième place
David Vidal (11), École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Anne, ÉTÉ
Short Story (English) | Nouvelle (anglais)
- 1st / 1ere place
Selena Baksh (12 years old | 12 ans), Vincent Massey Public School, Things They Don’t Tell You - 2nd / 2ième place
Vivienne Chafe (12 years old | 12 ans), OCV Elementary, No one is unlucky - 3rd / 3ième place
Cecelia Hope Corrigan (10 years old | 10 ans), Homeschooled, Hot Dog Hazard
Nouvelle (français) | Short Story (French)
- 1st / 1ère place
Justine Lalonde (12), My boulse de bonheur! - 2nd / 2ième place
Farès Sentissi (9 years old | 9 ans), Bridlewood Community Elementary School, L’un d’entre vous - 3rd / 3ième place
Mahery Ralia (9 years old | 9 ans), Les seuls dans le parc
Comic (English) | Bande dessinée (anglais)
- 1st / 1ère place
Andrei Osotkin (9 years old | 9 ans) ; J.J. Scagnetti (9 years old | 9 ans), Dinozaur messing with the multiverse - 2nd / 2ième place
Nishan Adriel Benjamin (10 years old | 10 ans), Jack Donahue Public School, The Awesome Adventures of Harpy the Flute - 3rd / 3ième place
Lois Emesomi Tomo (12 years old | 12 ans), Maplewood Secondary School, Both Hands
Bande dessinée (français)
- 1st / 1ère place
Andrei Osotkin (9), Joey: Rob et le bleu meow-rine
13-18 Categories | Catégorie des 13 à 18 ans
Poetry (English) | Poésie (anglais)
- 1st / 1ère place
Elena Mann (13 years old | 13 ans), Goulbourn Middle School, Inez - 2nd / 2ième place
Eli Ernst-Fontaine, Icarus lives in a shabby basement apartment on walker street - 3rd / 3ième place
Isnèle Hounkpe (18 years old | 18 ans), Collège catholique Mer Bleue. Babies of the Moon and Mars
Poésie (français) | Poetry (French)
- 1st / 1ère place
Mustafa Abu-Dieh (16 years old | 16 ans), Les Gardiens des Lettres - 2nd / 2ième place
Shekinah Manning (16 years old |16 ans), École secondaire publique Omer-Deslauriers, Mon téléphone et moi - 3rd / 3ième place
Isnèle Hounkpe (18 years old | 18 ans), Collège catholique Mer Bleue, Rouges nacrées
Short Story (English) | Nouvelle (Anglais)
- 1st / 1ère place
Lulia Hagos (15 years old | 15 ans), St. Joseph Catholic High School, From Roots to Wings - 2nd / 2ième place
Sarah Linn (17 years old | 17 ans), Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School, Not Every Job Requires a Degree - 3rd / 3ième place
Eli Ernst-Fontaine (17 years old | 17 ans), Looking for Childhood
Nouvelle (français) | Short Story (French)
- 1st / 1ère place
Elise Depayras (13 years old | 13 ans), Lycée Claudel, Miroir, mon beau miroir - 2nd / 2ième place
Edith René (16 years old | 16 ans), École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité, Brouillard - 3rd / 3ième place
Raphaël Rival (13 years old | 13 ans), École secondaire publique De La Salle, Un crâne de plus
Comic (English) | Bande-dessinée (anglais)
- 1st / 1ère place
Lina Al-Natour (14 years old | 14 ans), Cedarview Middle School, Catsitting
Bande dessinée (français) | Comic (French)
- 1st / 1ère place
Sofia Cipcigan (15 years old | 15 ans), École secondaire publique Omer-Deslauriers, Une nuit de musique - 2nd / 2ième place
Lina Al-Natour (14 years old | 14 ans), Cedarview Middle School, Le Trésor du Dragon - 3rd / 3ième place
Raphaël Rival (13 years old | 13 ans), École secondaire publique De La Salle, La chute du flocon