BEECHY, DINSMORE - Two students from schools within the Sun West School Division have been noticed for their writing talent.
Sam Ellis, a Grade 10 student at Dinsmore Composite School, will have an original poem published in the upcoming edition of Windscript magazine, a publication from the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild that has been publishing the best of original writing from high school students across the province since 1983.
Ellis's poem, "Gazing", is his take on the experience of soldiers in World War I. The first version of his poem was entered in Dinsmore Composite School's Legion Literary Contest after Sam wrote the poem when he was suffering from an injury that prevented him from playing hockey for a season. His teacher Chelsea Billett encouraged Sam to use his off-time to try some creative writing.
"Sam is a naturally creative writer and I encouraged him to submit the poem that he had already composed, reassuring him he had nothing to lose, and nothing better to do while his injury healed," she said in a Sun West media release.
Joining Sam in the next edition of Windscript magazine will be Grade 11 Beechy School student Justine Horn, whose original story, 'The House Across the Coulee', will also be included in the publication.
The work is described by Justine as a “haunting short story inspired by the Saskatchewan landscape.” Justine introduces Bethany Rivers, “an energetic and imaginative girl whose summer adventures guide her to a long- abandoned farmhouse. What begins as a ghost story quickly turns into something far more human when she discovers Walter, a quiet boy hiding from a cruel past. As their bond strengthens under the prairie sun, the landscape turns into a haven for friendship, healing, and shocking revelation.”
Justine’s story received an honourable mention for the Jerrett Enns Award for Prose, which the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild provides to recognize excellence. The Windscript editors stated: "You have a way of stunningly realizing scene and character, and your thoughtful edits strengthened your piece and demonstrated your strength as a writer even further."
The magazine with Justine’s story will be released on June 5 and she will also be featured in a 60-second promotional clip reading her piece on the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild Facebook and Instagram pages.
Creative writing seems to permeate local schools within the school division, something that's been noticed by provincial publishers.
