B-CC, WJ, Waldorf Students Among Finalists In Short Story Contest

Four students from three Bethesda schools have been named among the 12 finalists in the Gaithersburg Book Festival's third annual short story contest.

Walter Johnson juniors Megan Baldwin and Caroline E. Steel, Washington Waldorf School freshman Mia Harris and Bethesda-Chevy Chase senior Cary Spector have been named amongst the top contest entrants.

The pool included public, private, and homeschooled students from 16 jurisdictions throughout DC, Maryland and Virginia. 

Students from two other Montgomery County schools were selected as finalists.

The first-, second- and third-place winners, along with a fan favorite, will be announced at the festival on May 18 at 12:30 p.m. in the Ogden Nash tent. Winners will receive $100, $50 and $25 gift certificates, respectively, according to a news release.

The winning stories will be selected by New York Times best-selling author Caroline Leavitt (“Pictures of You” and “Is It Tomorrow”), who is a featured author at the 2013 Gaithersburg Book Festival and presented at the festival in 2011. 

“It’s exciting to see the short story contest remain a vibrant and growing aspect of our festival,” said Jud Ashman, festival chair and City of Gaithersburg Council member. “We love being able to engage with and encourage tomorrow’s authors.”

Read the students' stories on the Gaithersburg Book Festival website.