Surrey Schools students recognized in Surrey Libraries 2025 Youth Writing Contest
Students from eight Surrey and White Rock secondary schools were among the winners of this years 2025 Youth Writing Contest, an annual literary competition by Surrey Libraries. (Photo via Surrey Libraries)
Surrey Libraries has selected the winners of the 2025 Youth Writing Contest, recognizing multiple Surrey Schools students for their writing talents and artistic abilities.
Students from Earl Marriott, Enver Creek, Fleetwood Park, Frank Hurt, Grandview Heights, North Surrey, École Salish and Semiahmoo secondary schools, as well as SAIL, were among the winners formally announced at a recent awards gala.
Several Surrey and White Rock students took first place across the six categories, including:
- Jahmauri Inimgba of Enver Creek Secondary in Senior Poetry;
- Leana Bernardino of Fleetwood Park Secondary in Junior Poetry;
- Iryna Zlomynoba of North Surrey Secondary in Senior Short Story; and
- Cadence Liao of Earl Marriott Secondary in the Random category.
Right behind Liao, Myreen Randhawa of SAIL took second in Random.
Semiahmoo Secondary had a strong showing with four students being selected: Jolene Zhang, Alice Yu and Alveera Wahi each placed third in Junior Poetry, Senior Poetry and Random, respectively, while Xinye Audrey Liu received an honourable mention in Junior Short Story.
École Salish Secondary saw Shyla Coan and Noah Nhuk Som finish third in Junior Short Story and Comics, respectively, with Luciana Tilgner receiving an honourable mention in Junior Poetry.
Grandview Heights Secondary students Jia Li, Jocelyn Mui and Esther Yeong received honourable mentions in Junior Short Story, Senior Short Story and Random, respectively.
Other honourable mentions included Lap Phan of Fleetwood Park Secondary in Junior Poetry, Japneet Kahlon of Enver Creek Secondary in Random and Khrystine Calaramo and Vianka Parwani of Fleetwood Park Secondary in Comics.
The full list of winners and finalists is available here.
The annual writing competition for Surrey youth aged 12 to 18 has been running since 1987, serving as a platform for aspiring young writers to showcase their talent in the form of short stories, poems, comics, essays, screenplays and lyrics. It is organized by the youth library staff at Surrey Libraries and is supported by champion sponsors CUPE 402 & 402-02 Surrey City Workers & Surrey Library Workers, Khalsa Credit Union and the Surrey International Writers’ Conference.
The winning entries will be compiled in an anthology that will be available online, at Surrey Libraries branches, or on sale for $8.
Congratulations to all of our finalists!
2025 WINNERS
Junior Short Story
- First Prize: Yanna Yadav
- Second Prize: Imrin Dhillon
- Third Prize: Shyla Coan, École Salish Secondary
- Honourable Mention: Jia Li, Grandview Heights Secondary
- Honourable Mention: Xinye Audrey Liu, Semiahmoo Secondary
Senior Short Story
- First Prize: Iryna Zlomynoha, North Surrey Secondary
- Second Prize: Reem El-Bakezzi
- Third Prize: Arlin Adhikari
- Honourable Mention: Hayley Giang
- Honourable Mention: Jocelyn Mui, Grandview Heights Secondary
Junior Poetry
- First Prize: Leana Bernardino, Fleetwood Park Secondary
- Second Prize: Maya Baker
- Third Prize: Jolene Zhang, Semiahmoo Secondary
- Honourable Mention: Luciana Tilgner, École Salish Secondary
- Honourable Mention: Lap Phan, Fleetwood Park Secondary
Senior Poetry
- First Prize: Jahmauri Inimgba, Enver Creek Secondary
- Second Prize: Isabella Wen
- Third Prize: Alice Yu, Semiahmoo Secondary
- Honourable Mention: Hanna Grover
- Honourable Mention: Ria Jessa
Comics
- First Prize: Angela Xiao
- Second Prize: Ava Hudson
- Third Prize: Noah Nhuk Som, École Salish Secondary
- Honourable Mention: Khrystine Calaramo, Frank Hurt Secondary
- Honourable Mention: Vianka Parwani, Fleetwood Park Secondary
Random
- First Prize: Cadence Liao, Earl Marriott Secondary
- Second Prize: Myreen Randhawa, SAIL
- Third Prize: Alveera Wahi, Semiahmoo Secondary
- Honourable Mention: Japneet Kahlon, Enver Creek Secondary
- Honourable Mention: Esther Yeong, Grandview Heights Secondary
