The Telling Room Announces Grand Prize Winner of Statewide Writing Contest & County Winners

Lily Jessen, age 15 of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, is the grand prize winner of The Telling Room's 17th Annual Statewide Writing Contest! Jessen’s winning poem “Never” was selected as the winner by a panel of judges that included booksellers, local authors, editors, publishers, Telling Room alumni, and current Telling Room students. Jessen will be published in our upcoming annual anthology of youth writing and will receive a cash prize of $250.

Lily Jessen is in 10th grade and has written and published short stories and poems through Telling Room publications, Stone Soup Magazine, Skipping Stones, Incandescent Review, and Root and Star. Her novel, The Pipe Tree, which won Stone Soup's 2022 Annual Book Award, will be released by Stone Soup Publishing this spring and is now available for preorder. When she isn’t fanatically planning the complicated plot of her next story, you can find her participating in theater, curled up with a book, or singing in her chorus. 

“​​It's a real honor to have been chosen out of the many, many fantastically talented young writers here, and I'm so lucky and grateful to have received this award,” says Jessen. “Writing is my passion, and I've worked really hard at it, even when it was difficult, so it's wonderful to receive this acknowledgement from my home state. Realizing that people in your community support something you've put so much effort into is truly touching for me.”

Jessen’s winning poem, “Never,” was selected as the winner by a panel of judges that included booksellers, local authors, editors, publishers, Telling Room alumni, and current Telling Room students. Participants in The Telling Room’s Publishing Workshop set the standards by which each piece of writing was judged and had the final say in selecting winners.

“Lily’s poem brings up a strong, indescribable feeling in just a few words,” says Publishing Workshop member Avery Olson. “There’s a sense of longing in the poem, it’s a little nostalgic—it reminds me of when I was younger. It’s sad, but hopeful, too.” 

This year in total, The Telling Room received over 300 submissions of writing from youth ages six to eighteen from fourteen Maine counties. Once again participation was seen from across Maine and The Telling Room will award a winner for each county that writers entered from, in addition to the grand prize. Each county winner will also be published in the upcoming anthology, and receive a cash prize of $50.

Congratulations to our County Winners!

“The Rubik's Cube” by Belle Beauchesne, age 16, student at Hebron Academy, of Lewiston (Androscoggin)
“Only Child” by Taylor Coulombe, 11th grader at Fort Kent Community School, of Wallagrass (Aroostook)
"Never" by Lily Jessen, 10th Grader, of Cape Elizabeth (Cumberland)
“It’s Not as I Once Dreamed” by Christina Nelson, 11th grader at Spruce Mountain High School, of Jay (Franklin)
“I Melt In Music” by Luci Misiaszek, age 15, 10th grader at Mount Desert Island High School, of Trenton, (Hancock) 
“The Unfortunate Dragonfly” by Nhi Nguyen, 12th grader at Oak Hill High School, of Litchfield (Kennebec)
“A Cow Named Horse” by Imogen Esmé Egenson age 11, of Hope (Knox)
“Silent Shadows” by Lily Coleman, 8th grader at the Center for Teaching and Learning, of Edgecomb (Lincoln)
“Ballet-Slipper Pink” by Kate Dilworth, 11th grader at Hebron Academy, of Norway (Oxford)
“Nocturnal Beast” by Camryn Harvey, age 17 at Bangor High School, of Bangor (Penobscot)
“I am a Crow” by Imogen Dedek, age 11, student at Mt. Ararat Middle School, of Topsham (Sagadahoc)
“Dear You" by Aaliyah Yarde, age 17, 11th grader at Nokomis Regional High School, of Palmyra (Somerset)
“Our Last Encounter” by Nevyn Harvey, age 17, 12th grader at Belfast Area High School, of Belfast (Waldo)
“A School for Clouds” by Deanna Ferris, 8th grader at Wells Junior High School, of Wells (York)

“In Publishing Workshop, you get to read diverse perspectives from all across Maine,” says Len Harrison, who has participated in the Publishing Workshop for multiple semesters. “Reading so many different things is one of the best parts of the program. Our group loved Lily’s reinterpretation of the classic story of Peter Pan.”

“The piece, with its strong voice and beautiful word choice, speaks so eloquently to the experience of growing up within the confines of gender roles,” says Telling Room Lead Teacher Jude Marx. “Our Publishing Workshop decided unanimously that ‘Never’ stood out as the winner.”

Prior to entering the contest, Jessen had written with The Telling Room through the organization’s virtual writing program, SWARM! (Student Writers & Readers Meet!) which meets afterschool via Zoom. Jessen has previously been published by The Telling Room in SWARM! Volume Four, SWARM! Volume Five, and the 2023 anthology, From the Edge of the World. 

“When it comes to my writing, programs at The Telling Room have been, in many ways, a refuge for me; a place where I can work on and share my writing with a group of endlessly supportive peers and mentors,” adds Jessen. “I started doing programs like SWARM virtually because of the pandemic, but I continued to participate virtually because of their flexible, accessible nature. I've learned how to give and receive feedback on pieces, met amazing teachers, and found more inspiration for my writing than I know what to do with. I even wrote the first few pages of my novel on one of their virtual programs! I'd highly recommend any Telling Room program to anyone, from an experienced writer to someone looking to try it out for the first time.”

Thank you to everyone who entered this year's contest. We know that submitting one's writing is a vulnerable experience, and applaud every writer who found the courage to send their work to us.