Storytellers of Tomorrow

“Wynswith and the Wanderer,” Victoria Birkett

This story captivates with its rich atmosphere, vivid imagery, and compelling character dynamics. The enchanting world is brought to life with sensory details, while authentic dialogue between the protagonist and the mysterious stranger adds depth. The author’s wry sense of humor provides a delightful contrast to the story’s darker elements.

First Place: “The Night I Opened My Eyes,” Xanthe Teijeiro

This story excels in creating a gripping narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The tension builds steadily as the protagonist grapples with the horrifying truth about their world and their desperate attempt to escape it. The vivid descriptions and atmospheric prose effectively convey the bleakness of the protagonist’s reality and the shocking revelation of the outside world. The climax is both heart-pounding and thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impact as the protagonist comes to terms with their newfound understanding.

Second Place: “Schuylkill Blythe,” Jessie Leitzel

This story masterfully weaves together elements of mystery, family dynamics, and the haunting beauty of rural Pennsylvania. Through rich prose and vivid imagery, the reader is drawn into Frey’s world, where the landscape itself feels like a character. The tense atmosphere and sense of foreboding build steadily, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the heartbreaking conclusion.

Third Place: “Golden Ratio,” Claire He

The story’s brilliance lies in its masterful blend of mythological elements with a compelling narrative of sacrifice and redemption. Through vivid prose and rich character development, it explores themes of hubris, parental love, and the consequences of one’s actions. The pacing creates a sense of urgency and tension, while the atmospheric tone immerses readers in a world both familiar and fantastical. Ultimately, it’s the emotional depth and thought-provoking exploration of human nature that make this story truly exceptional.

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)

• “The Peacocks Fly Southeast,” Renee Chen
• “Underland,” Amariah Cruz
• “Gen A,” Avah Dodson
• “Golden Ratio,” Claire He
• “Conservation of Sappho’s Momentum,” Emily Hsu
• “Mirror, Mirror,” Parita Kottamasu
• ”A Guide to How the World Ended: By Dr. Max Lowell (Me), the Last (?) Man On Earth,” Alexia Liu
• “Major Tom,” Ryan Markovitz
• “The Crimson Queen,” Estefania Martinez-Sobral Olyslager
• “It Is the End and They Have Died,” Mayaan Ram
• “Visitation,” Kaydance Rice
• “Dead and Living Birds,” Ulyana Sharapova
• “Preserve,” Mya Sinclair
• “The Light Whispers,” Alexis Washington
• “The Tale of Creusa,” Keira Watters
• “The Color Merchant,” Grace Yan

First Place: “The Shopkeeper,” Brian Chan

“The Shopkeeper” serves as a rumination on who and what we come from. It is a story which centers place, ancestry, names, and colors worth carrying. Ram finds vibrancy in the ordinary as he becomes newly acquainted with Violet, the neighborhood’s new shop owner. Amidst the bells which signal the shop’s opening and closing doors, the two find moments of resonance, curiosity, and joy. This is a gorgeous, lyrical tale which, like the greatest stories do, grows deep rather than wide.

Second Place: “Sweet Corn,” Cathleen Balid

“Sweet Corn” is a story which explores self-discovery through utter fascination. Mari is a girl who knows what she wants. Kit, the story’s extremely observational narrator, is drawn to Mari for this reason among others. The author connects the dynamic relationships brought on by girlhood with human connection to the natural world through vivid, surprising, and imaginative language. This story exemplifies the beauty and wisdom that comes only with seeing another person deeply, deeply, deeply. 

Third Place: “Window View,” Isabelle Wei

What lives inside a window? Not only is “Window View” littered with poetic language and rich metaphor, the author also utilizes nontraditional form to mirror the breakdown of the story’s emotional content brilliantly. Our narrator zooms in on the small [the obscene red of a strawberry donut], in order to examine the very large [broken family]. The reader is initially drawn to the page for wildly imaginative description and stays for the many profound questions this story asks. 

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)

• “Two Trees,” Joonas Elo
• “The Meaning of Life and Other Lies,” Avi Goldberg
• “Cosmos,” Siri Iagnemma
• “On the River,” Jane Laurence
• “Through 1400,” Jessie Leitzel
• “The Vanishing Point,” Jessica Li
• “Aftertaste,” Sophie Lin
• “Conversations at the End of the World,” Merrik Moriarty
• “Dead angels on the way to work,” Angela Xu
• “Before You Die, Here’s a Star,” Chelsea Zhu

First Place: “I Survived: Hawaii Wildfires 2023,” Tori Elliot

This harrowing piece, based on the writer’s real-life experience, has a good balance of dialogue, place as a character, compelling story, point of view and “voice” – that distinctive thing that shows a writer’s unique perspective.

Second Place: “Identity,” Keira Hammond

The writer tells a good story from an oft-ignored perspective using dialogue, conflict, a core question, and resolution in a way that gives power to their viewpoint.

Third Place: “In the City of Smiles,” Vincent Butas

This story takes the reader to another place. While dialogue is sparse, the author’s keen eye was key to understanding and awareness. Use of two languages with detailed definitions provides cultural context. Research and reporting add detail and context.

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)

• “The Purple Dinosaur,” Amelia Barney
• “The Other Family,” Izabella Blanco
• “Transverse,” Tae Esperanza Cooper
• “How to Rationalize a Potential Crime,” Iliana Demas
• “The Shooting Hour,” Thomas Evans
• “Connecting Myself to Yun Dong-ju’s Final Poem,” Daniel Han
• “Stinky Fish,” Grace Huang
• “Whispers in the Wall,” Aubrey Kajikawa
• “Shooting Stars,” Cassiopeia Mitova
• “Something More…,” Neha M.
• “From Heaven to Hell,” Gianna Ostrovski
• “In Guns, Who Trusts?,” Christopher Schwarting
• “Innocence,” Jiho Shin
• “The Further South You Go, The More Depressing It Is: Što Južnije To Tužnije,” Téa Vukosavljević
• “Running To and Fro,”Zinnia Wu

First Place: “Little Peasant Boy,” William Owens

Imagine how medieval children might react to a time traveler bringing them a box of Froot Loops. What more do you need to know about why this is clearly going to be a lot of fun to play? With its provocative and funny writing and its so-simple-they’re-barely-rules rules system, this game inspires the imagination with a silly scenario that forces you to think about serious consequences. 

Second Place: “Pizza Rats,” Thaddeus Smilevski

A premise that immediately grabbed my attention: play as different kinds of rats trying to make an impression in the big city.  If you like rat-based puns (and I do!) the rules are a delight to read and the card-based system is elegant and easy to learn.

Third Place: “Kiwi RPG,” Sam Hughes

Despite its cute premise of playing as adorable kiwi birds, in fact this is a grim game of survival. It does a good job of creating a set of mechanics that mirror the hardscrabble life of a bird foraging for food while trying to avoid predators.