Finalists Announced in Bethesda Literary Festival Essay and Short Story Contest

March 28, 2013 (Bethesda, MD) – Finalists have been selected in the Bethesda Literary Festival’s Essay and Short Story Contests. Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Magazine partnered to invite adults ages 18 and over and high school students (grades 9-12) to enter a 500-word essay or a 4,000-word short story. Finalists were selected from more than 400 submissions.

2013 Essay Contest Finalists

Barbara de Boinville, Chevy Chase, MD

Heather Davis, Front Royal, VA

Becki Kapelusznik, Baltimore, MD

Casey Mock, Washington, D.C.

Kim O’Connell, Arlington, VA

Charles Somerville, North Potomac, MD

2013 High School Essay Contest Finalists

Rachel Bird, Walt Whitman H.S.

Angelina DiPaolo, Holton-Arms School

Marthe Folivi, Bethesda-Chevy Chase H.S.

Ioanna Mattke, The Field School

Matthew Raab, Winston Churchill H.S.

Joel Zeballos, Washington-Lee H.S.

2013 Short Story Contest Finalists

Brian Cocoran, Chevy Chase, MD

Aaron Hanna, Bethesda, MD

Shelby Harper, Bethesda, MD

Joe Oppenheimer, Chevy Chase, MD

2013 High School Short Story Finalists

Karen Foecke, Damascus H.S.

Saachi Nangia, Holton-Arms School

Christina Tseng, Poolesville H.S.

Johanna Wassermann, National Cathedral School

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at 7pm, Friday, April 19, at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, 7400 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. The first place adult winner in each category will be awarded $500 and be published in Bethesda Magazine; second place winners are honored with $250; third place winners will receive $150; and honorable mentions will be awarded $75 each. The first place winners will also receive a gift certificate to The Writer’s Center.

The first place high school winners will be published in Bethesda Magazine and awarded $250, $100 for second place, $50 for third place and a $25 gift card for honorable mentions. All winners’ essays and short stories will be published on the Bethesda Magazine and Bethesda Urban Partnership’s websites.

In addition to writing contests, The Bethesda Literary Festival celebrates literature with three days of free events featuring novelists, journalists, poets and children’s events. All events take place throughout downtown Bethesda. For more information visit www.bethesda.org.

The Bethesda Literary Festival is produced by the Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP), the creator and sponsor of Taste of Bethesda, Imagination Bethesda, the Bethesda Literary Festival, a free Summer Concert Series, Winter Wonderland and Bethesda Outdoor Movies: Stars on the Avenue. Bethesda Urban Partnership also manages the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District. The beautification of downtown Bethesda’s parks, streets and sidewalks is also maintained by BUP.

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