Meet the writers reading The First Page student writing challenge entries for 2023!
The First Page student writing challenge is an annual competition for Grades 7 to 12 students.
Each year, CBC Books asks students to give us a glimpse of the great Canadian novel of the future. They write the first page of a book set 150 years in the future, with the protagonist facing an issue that's topical now and set the scene for how it's all playing out in a century and a half.
Over 1,200 stories were submitted for the 2023 competition. Two winning entries — one from the Grades 7 to 9 category and one from the Grades 10 to 12 category — will be chosen by bestselling author Courtney Summers.
Middle-grade and YA writers from across Canada will be combing through the entries to find the best first pages and select the shortlist. Meet all our esteemed readers below.
Andre Fenton, author of The Summer Between Us
Andre Fenton is an award-winning African Nova Scotian author, spoken-word artist, and arts educator who has represented Halifax at seven national poetry festivals across Canada. He was the 2015 recipient of The Spirit of The Slam Award. Andre is an author of two YA novels, Worthy of Love, which won bronze in The Coast Best of, and Annaka, a finalist for the 2021 Ann Connor Brimer Award.
His latest book is the YA novel The Summer of Between Us. The book takes place just after high school graduation, as Adrian struggles with the decision to spend his summer on-tour with his girlfriend Mel, her band and the discomfort of mostly-white punk spaces. Adrian also tries to forge a stronger connection with his father, and comes to terms with what he's truly passionate about.
Michael Hutchinson, author of The Mighty Muskrats Mystery series
Michael Hutchinson is a novelist and member of the Misipawistik Cree Nation. He currently lives in Manitoba and works as the Communications Manager for the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre. He is the author of The Mighty Muskrats Mystery series, which includes the books The Case of Windy Lake, The Case of the Missing Auntie and The Case of the Burgled Bundle.
The latest instalment in the series is The Case of the Rigged Race. In it, the four cousins from the Windy Lake First Nation head to the city to visit the Exhibition Fair. There, they learn about their grandfather's little sister, who was scooped up by the government and adopted out to strangers without her parents' permission many years ago. They launch a search for their auntie and, along the way, they learn about the treatment of First Nations people in Canada.
Sarena & Sasha Nanua, authors of Sisters of the Snake & Daughters of the Dawn
Sasha and Sarena Nanua are YA authors and twin sisters based in Ontario. Born minutes apart from each other, they grew up loving stories about twins and magic, and began writing books together at a young age. Their debut book is the YA novel Sisters of the Snake.
In their latest book, Daughters of the Dawn, the sequel to Sisters of the Snake, twin princesses Ria and Rani have barely settled into their new lives at the palace when a sinister prophecy uproots them. The Blood Moon rises in one month's time giving their enemy Amara an opportunity to destroy everything they hold dear. Ria and Rani must embark on a deadly search and battle impossible odds to find Amara and save their home.
Judy I. Lin, author of The Book of Tea duology
Judy I. Lin was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age. She grew up with her nose in a book and loved to escape to imaginary worlds. A Magic Steeped in Poison was her debut novel.
In A Venom Dark and Sweet, the conclusion to the Book of Tea duology, a great evil has come to the kingdom of Dàxi and the Banished Prince has seized control. Ning, a young but powerful shénnóng-shi — a wielder of magic using the ancient art of tea-making — along with Ning's sister, Princess Zhen and her bodyguard, Ruyi, travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help take back Zhen's rightful throne.
Caryn Lix, author of The Sanctuary series
Caryn Lix is a YA fantasy writer based in Alberta. She is the author of the Sanctuary sci-fi YA series, which includes the books Sanctuary and Containment.
In Salvation, the third and final book in the Sanctuary trilogy, protagonist Kenzie and her friends fear their luck may have run out when they are trapped on a strange new planet. After encountering alien attacks and bounty hunters, Kenzie must use her newly acquired superpowers to solve a dark mystery and save Earth from destruction.
Kern Carter, author of Boys and Girls Screaming
Kern Carter is a Toronto author and freelance writer. He has written and self-published two books — the novella Thoughts of a Fractured Soul and the novel Beauty Scars. Carter also has writing credits in Forbes, The New York Times, Global Citizen, Elle Magazine and Fatherly.com. CBC Books named Carter a Black writer to watch in 2023.
His latest novel Boys and Girls Screaming, a teen named Ever is coping with the sudden death of her father. Ever decides to form a support group called 'Boys and Girls Screaming' for kids who have suffered trauma. But while the other students share their stories and find solace, Ever is driven deeper into depression and hits her breaking point. It's up to the group to set Ever onto a path of healing.
Cale Atkinson, author and illustrator of Simon and Chester: Super Detectives!
Cale Atkinson is a Kelowna, B.C.-based illustrator, writer and animator. His work has appeared in numerous children's books, animated shorts, games and on television. He is the author and illustrator of over a dozen books for children including his Simon and Chester series which includes Simon and Chester: Super Detectives!
Simon and Chester: Super Family! is the latest in the middle-grade series about Simon and Chester, ghost and boy duo extraordinaire. Chester lives with his grandmother, his cat Mr. Pickles and Simon the ghost. When Chester decides to meet more families to see what he might be missing and Simon heads off to the annual ghost conference, both realize that they should always feel thankful for the family and friends they already have.
Simon and Chester: Super Family! was nominated for The Egghead Award for the best kids' book at the 2023 Doug Wright Awards.
Deborah Falaye, author of Blood Scion
Deborah Falaye is a Nigerian Canadian YA author based in Toronto. She grew up in Lagos. Her debut novel, Blood Scion was published in 2022 and was influenced by Yoruba culture. CBC Books named Falaye a Black writer to watch in 2023.
Blood Scion is a YA fantasy novel about a teen named Sloane who discovers she is a superpowered Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods. But when she is forced to join the army under a brutal warlord, Sloane realizes she has an opportunity to use her magical powers to defeat the enemy from within.
Blood Scion was named one of the best Canadian YA books of 2022 by CBC Books and was on the Canada Reads 2023 longlist.
Courtney Summers, author of I'm the Girl
Courtney Summers is the author of several novels for young adults, including Cracked Up to Be, All the Rage and Sadie. She has won numerous awards, including the 2019 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult literature, the 2019 Odyssey Award and the 2020 Forest of Reading White Pine Award.
Her 2021 book The Project won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Young Adult novel.
Summer's latest novel I'm the Girl, a thriller set in a world of wealth, power and privilege. In it, a girl named Georgia stumbles across the dead body of 13-year-old Ashley James and she teams up with Ashley's older sister Nora to find the killer before he strikes again. Georgia's investigation launches her into a world of unimaginable wealth and privilege, something she has always dreamed about. But as Georgia and Nora close in on the killer, they discover that when money, power and beauty rule, it's not always a matter of who is guilty, but who is guiltiest.
When asked about being the final judge of The First Page Summers told CBC Books what she thinks makes a compelling first page.
"There's no universal formula for a great first page, so I won't know it until I see it. I intend to meet the writing where it is, determine whether or not it achieved what it set out to do, and if that alone was compelling enough to make me want to keep reading," Summers said.
LISTEN | Courtney Summer on The Next Chapter:
