Contests

Each summer, Mensa Canada holds an annual literary contest for poetry and short stories. The theme for 2022 is dragons.

The sky is the limit for your imagination! Play with this idea and make a short story or poetry, and maybe win a prize!

Submissions must be received by June 26, 2022. Winners will be announced at the Annual General Meeting online on July 17, 2022.

There will be prizes of $50 and $30 for the top two contestants in each category. New category for youth entries! $30 for top contestants in <12 and 12-20. And of course glory, a certificate and the prestige of having a published work.

Need inspiration? Check out the winning entries below!

CONTEST RULES

  1. Competitions are open to 2022 Mensa Canada members in good standing (paid up).

  2. The theme is dragons.

  3. There is no entry fee. Contestants may submit one entry in each category.

  4. Fiction short story must be 1000 words or less. Poetry must be 30 lines or less (excluding title). Works exceeding this are automatically disqualified.

  5. Entries must be the sole work of the entrant and must be original unpublished work. The author retains copyright of the story/poetry, but will grant Mensa non-exclusive rights to publish in Mensa newsletters and the Mensa website. The contestants agree that the names of winners may be published nationally.

  6. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity and artistic quality. Decision of the panel of judges is final.

  7. Works containing profanity, vulgarity or offensive material will be disqualified. The judge panel will determine if this condition applies.

  8. Winners will be announced at the Annual General Meeting on-line on July 17, 2022.

  9. Submissions must be in English or French.

  10. Submission date is June 26, 2022. Send submissions electronically to mensacanadaliterarycontest@gmail.com or by mail to 184 Chebucto Dr. Oakville, ON L6J 2P9 (postmarked before June 26, 2022).

  11. By submitting entries for the competition, the entrant accepts all the conditions listed above.

WINNING ENTRIES

Mensa Canada is proud to announce the winners and finalists of the Annual Literary Contest. We hope that you will enjoy reading the winning entries as much as the judges did.

2021

SHORT STORIES

1st Place – Seeking the Truth

Kalyssa Tuz, Warman, SK

2nd Place – First Night

Susan Katz, Toronto, ON

Finalist – Curieux père que ce père curieux!

Gaëtan Lavoie, Gatineau, QC


POETRY

1st Place – Femelle alpha bête

Gaëtan Lavoie, Gatineau, QC

2nd Place – What Lies in the Unknown

Kalyssa Tuz, Warman, SK

Finalist – Curiosity

Tony Ryan, Calgary, AB


YOUNG WRITER AWARDS

The Young Writer Awards were created this year in response to fantastic entries from young writers. The judges declared all of these entries winners. Congratulations!

Young Writers – Senior (12+)

1st Place – What Lies Under My House

Ambreena De Menech

2nd Place – Merrick and the Fleet

Brandon Phui

Young Writers – Junior (<12)

1st Place – Curiosity

Roselyn Chan



2020

SHORT STORIES

1st Place – Left Behind

Nancy Shaver, Ottawa, ON

2nd Place – The Balcony

Vanessa Choo, Sechelt, BC

3rd Place – Ink’s Spot

Susan Katz, Toronto, ON

Finalists (Alphabetical Order)


POETRY

1st Place (tie) – Mes yeux d’enfant

Paul Couture, Montreal, QC

1st Place (tie) – To the Swiftest

Arthur J.L. Salvas, Scarborough, ON

3rd Place – It’s You

Carmen Prefontaine, Winnipeg, MB

Finalists (Alphabetical Order)


YOUNG WRITER AWARDS

The Young Writer Awards were created this year in response to fantastic entries from young writers. The judges declared all of these entries winners. Congratulations!

Winning Entries (Alphabetical by Last Name)




2019

SHORT STORIES

1st Place – Tsaksithi

Mahesh Gopalan

2nd Place – Sturm and Dung

Barry Schmidl


POETRY

1st Place – Le climat et nous

Marie Pavoine

2nd Place – Eyes

Mahesh Gopalan

3rd Place – Mother

Kalyssa Tuz




2018

SHORT STORIES

1st Place – The Panda and The Princess

John Wheatley, Calgary, AB

2nd Place – The Pox

Cam Clark of Calgary, AB

3rd Place – A Transition in Color

Mahesh Gopalan of Thorold, ON

Finalists (Alphabetical Order)


POETRY

1st Place – De montagne à rivière

Yves Langlois, St.-Armand, QC

2nd Place – Outside The Box

Kaylyssa Tuz, Preeceville, SK

3rd Place – No Wall Between Us

Carol Ogden, Vancouver, BC

Finalists (Alphabetical Order)




2017

SHORT STORIES

1st Place – Return Passage

Barb Lehtiniemi, Glen Waters, ON

2nd Place – Serenity Beckons

Mahesh Gopalan, Thorold, ON

3rd Place – When Poppies Bloom

John Wheatley, Calgary, AB


POETRY

1st Place – Reflections

Mahesh Gopalan, Thorold, ON

2nd Place – Legacy

Sylvia Teaves, Burlington, ON

3rd Place – Didn’t We Do This Last Year?

Arthur J.L. Salvas, Scarborough, ON




2016

SHORT STORIES

1st Place – Sarah

Cam Clark, Calgary, AB (Calgary Chapter)

2nd Place – Thea Finds the Words

Paul Tiege, Red Deer Township, AB (Edmonton Chapter)

3rd Place – Soliloquy

Ken Stark, Coquitlam, BC (Vancouver Chapter)

Finalists (Alphabetical Order)


POETRY

1st Place – Sanctuary

Darcee Jean Gundlock, New Dayton, AB (Calgary Chapter)

2nd Place – Le français… Je me Mouille

Gaëtan Lavoie, Gatineau, QC (Ottawa Chapter)

3rd Place – I Thank My Wife For My Life

Robert Lee Slattery, Stoney Creek, ON (Southern Ontario Chapter)

Finalists (Alphabetical Order)