The Okanagan Young Writers’ Awards
Showcasing the Next Generation of Okanagan Writers

Submissions Are Now Closed for the 2022 Awards
The beautiful Okanagan Valley has long inspired talented creatives from around the region. The Okanagan Young Writers’ Awards were founded to promote excellence in writing at the high school and early college level. Through this competition we recognize outstanding writing achievement by the region’s youth aged 14-19! A story / poetry reading and signing will be held by the ORL Mission Branch on January 15th.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2022 AWARD WINNERS!
POETRY WINNERS
- FIRST – Emma Unruh, University of British Columbia (Okanagan)
- SECOND – Jeremy Bader, Okanagan College (Vernon Campus)
- THIRD – Anna Biernacki, Salmon Arm Secondary School
FICTION WINNERS
- FIRST – Jeremy Bader, Okanagan College (Vernon Campus)
- SECOND – Ray Davie, Kelowna Secondary School
- THIRD – Caileigh Watson, Heritage Christian Online School
2022 Finalists
The Finalists feature from all across the Okanagan Valley, with thirteen different schools represented! A huge congratulations to the finalists and a big thank-you to all those who submitted whose names are not listed here. The 2022 OYWAs in each category are:
Judging Panel
A huge thanks goes out to our Okanagan Young Writers’ Awards judges for graciously volunteering their time and expertise! The judges that make up the 2022 Finalists Panel are:
Sponsorship
We would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous contributions to the Okanagan Young Writers’ Awards as well as art and culture throughout the valley:

OKANAGAN PUBLISHING HOUSE
Okanagan Publishing House is an independent publishing company based out of Kelowna, BC. They have supported arts and culture in the Okanagan region since 2014 and are the founding sponsor of the OYWAs.
“As a publishing house we draw our inspiration from the fine writers of this region. Our hope is that this competition engages the next generation of Okanagan creatives and encourages them to share their story with the world.”

OKANAGAN REGIONAL LIBRARY
The Okanagan Regional Library has 28 locations in BC spanning from Golden to Osoyoos. Their Mission Branch will be hosting a reading / signing for the 2022 OYWAs.
“The Okanagan Regional Library celebrates the creativity of our communities’ young people and strives to nurture a lifelong love of language in people of all ages. It is in this spirit that the Mission Branch is delighted to host the OYWA 2022 and to elevate the voices of these talented writers.”

THE TROPHY DEN
The Trophy Den is the Okanagan’s oldest awards and promotional products shop, and is located centrally in Kelowna, BC. They will be providing medallions for the 2022 OYWA winners.
“The Trophy Den is a locally owned and operated business that offers traditional and laser engraving services. We stock a large variety of awards, trophies, customizable drinkware, and other unique giftware. We pride ourselves on providing exemplary customer service that exceeds expectations. Our showroom is located at 987 Lawrence Ave, Kelowna, BC.“