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These two Tri-City scribes won first place in a writing contest

Xuan Tung Duong of Port Moody and Coquitlam's Laurie Crookell got first place for their original stories for youth.
lauriecrookell
Coquitlam writer Laurie Crookell.

Two Tri-City authors are winners of the North Shore Writers Association contest.

On Saturday, April 13, Xuan Tung Duong of Port Moody took the top prize in the youth category for her composition Paper Heart while Coquitlam's Laurie Crookell clinched first in the children’s/young adult division for her story Invisible Zone.

In 2014, Crookell took first place in the Surrey International Writers Conference writing competition, also in the Writing for Young People category, and in 2010, she garnered first in the Human Potential Nonfiction Writing Contest.

The North Shore accolades were announced at the closing reception of the group’s writers festival. The judges were Iona Whishaw, Del Lobo and Cynthia Sharp.

Other first place winners are:

  • Kathleen Vance
    • Still Life with New Washing Machine (non fiction)
  • Martin Borden
    • FAIRHAVEN (fiction)
  • Diana E. Hayes
    • Seascape from Sheringham Point (poetry)

The 2024 winning entries will be published via the association's website. The 29th annual writing contest opens in early January 2025.