October 1, 2020
B’nai Brith Canada
MONTREAL – B’nai Brith Canada is delighted to offer congratulations to the winners of last night’s Diverse Minds Creative Writing Competition in Montreal.
This was the first year of this contest in Montreal, and we are extremely proud of all the incredible work and dedication the participants and those involved devoted to it.
Diverse Minds Creative Writing Competition is a contest designed to encourage the values of diversity and inclusion in our country through the mediums of storytelling and illustration. The competition in Montreal is held in both of Canada’s official languages. High school students were invited to write and illustrate books geared toward elementary school students, entered as submissions for a chance to win cash prizes for themselves and for their schools and teachers. Each entry promoted these important values in a unique and creative way.
The winners for Montreal were announced Wednesday night at a special celebratory, virtual event. The host of the event was renowned Montreal media personality Patrick Langlois.
The English first-place co-winners were Liem Yip and Gabriel Morin, students of Royal West Academy in Montreal West. The French first-place co-winners were Wesley Yan and Omar Ghazaly, students of College Saint-Louis in Lachine, Que. Liem and Gabriel co-authored The Eggnapper, a book about the need to be kind and understanding to people and refrain from making assumptions about others. Wesley and Omar co-authored Le Voyage de Pierrot, a book about the importance of not necessarily fearing something that may be unfamiliar. The winning books, selected by a panel of celebrity judges, have been professionally published and are slated to be distributed free of charge to elementary schools and public libraries in Montreal.
“Every student who participated in this contest is a winner in my book,” said Adriana Glikman, National Program Coordinator of B’nai Brith Canada. “We were thrilled to see so much talent in the Greater Montreal Area and we are excited about what the future holds in store for this very important writing competition.”
We invite anyone who is interested in this contest to follow our email updates and to apply to enter next year’s competition.
