Naperville H.S. Writing Prize Winners

The Naperville Writers Group (NWG) is pleased to announce the winning entries for this year’s NWG High School Writing Prize!

Student writers from Naperville schools were invited to submit their work. Ray Ziemer, Project Coordinator presented the awards at Neuqua Valley High School and Naperville North High School.

We wish to thank Gillian Schneider from Nequa Valley High School, Helena Hitzeman from Naperville North, and the judges for all their efforts in helping us promote the art of writing in our community.

Two winners from Neuqua Valley High School are, for poetry, “Home of Resilient Olives” by Alisha Bilal, and for the short story, “House at the End of the Universe” by Daniel Srbinov.

The Non-fiction prize for the essay “How To Build a Library” goes to Sarah Riemer from Naperville North.

Each winner received $300 and a certificate of achievement, as well as publication in the journal Rivulets published by the Naperville Writers Group.

The three independent judges all have local connections: The poetry judge was Kristin LaTour of Aurora, author of 5 books of poetry and founder of the Aurora Writers Workshop. Fiction judge Matthew Thomas Meade of Oswego has published short fiction widely and is a prize-winning memoir writer. The judge for the non-fiction entries was Richard Holinger, teacher, author, and Pushcart Prize nominee from Geneva, IL.

Alisha Bilal (poetry winner), a Neuqua Valley High School senior, won for her poem “Home of Resilient Olives.”

Ray Ziemer and Alisha Bilal 

Daniel Srbinov (short story winner) a Neuqua Valley High School senior, won for his story “House at the End of the Universe.“

Ray Ziemer and Daniel Srbinov

Sarah Riemer ( non-fiction prose winner), a Naperville North senior, won for her story “How To Build a Library.”

Ray Ziemer and Sarah Riemer