Lit Fest: Winners The Annual Dukane Conference Lit Fest is an opportunity for writers of any kind

By: Alexa Valdes

The Annual Dukane Conference Lit Fest is an opportunity for writers of any kind to submit their work. Categories of submission include descriptive sketch, poetry, short fiction, dramatic scene, personal essay, and spoken word (slam) poetry. This year’s Lit Fest was hosted at Batavia High School with three Wheaton North winners.

Annie Sullivan, winner of the personal essay category, had not submitted her writing to any competition before, “I was pretty proud of the personal statement I wrote for my college essay and a teacher suggested that I submit it to an essay competition.” Many pieces of writing that make it ot the Lit Fest are fragments of other writings or past ideas that get edited into a final draft.

After winning second place in a second grade poetry competition, Nimubona Chanella’s writing won first place in the poetry category at the Lit Fest. As someone who has entered and won Nimubona offers advice for other people thinking of doing the same, “Just go for it! Whether you win or not, art is always subjective. As long as your entry pleases yourself, why worry?” .

Even though no Wheaton student placed first place for the category of descriptive sketch, Gianna Carroll won second place with her piece. She used her time in the creative writing course at Wheaton North to learn and explore her writing further. Descriptive sketches are pieces of writing that contain a high level of vivid detail that allows for a scene to be made with words. The category that a student will choose matters because it must be fitting, “I really like describing things and creating a moment in time. I feel like this category can create something that people feel like they are completely in the story”

To anyone considering being a part of Lit Fest next year, the winners are able to provide feedback from their experience.

“It’s super fun to meet the experienced judges, learn from them, hear their stories, and connect with other students who enjoy writing. If you are considering submitting something, just do it! It’s super low risk, high reward and the field trip is tons of fun.” (Annie Sullivan).

“Do your best and write something you’re proud of. have other people look at it and give you feedback before you submit it. Don’t be afraid to submit something. It’s a great experience for anyone who wants to share their writing. It’s a whole conference with sessions to learn how to be a better writer, not just awards” (Gianna Carroll).

Lit Fest is a considerable event for people who enjoy writing. It provides a great opportunity for students to get their writing recognized and receive feedback from professionals in the writing field. Congratulations to all Wheaton North Students who participated in this year's Lit Fest!