This column, featuring the 2024 Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest winners, appeared in the Jan. 5, 2025, edition of the Omaha World-Herald (NE). It is also available at Omaha.com (opens in a new tab).
Omaha Public Library friends sponsoring student writing contest
The Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest, an annual event hosted by the Friends of Omaha Public Library celebrating the creative talents of local students, is now accepting submissions for 2025.
Open to students in grades 5 through 8 residing in Douglas or Sarpy counties, the contest encourages young writers to craft original fiction of up to 750 words featuring a character from a book they’ve read on their own and enjoyed. Stories can expand on the original story’s plot or take the characters on a new adventure!
The contest, established in 2003, honors Virginia Frank, a dedicated Friends of Omaha Public Library volunteer and former English literature and creative writing instructor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her passion for education and literature continues to inspire young writers through this competition.
Winners from each grade level will receive cash prizes: $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third. Additionally, the school libraries of the winning students will be awarded matching cash prizes. Winning entries will be published on the Omaha Public Library’s website, and authors will be honored at a special ceremony.
To participate, students must submit their typed stories, along with a completed entry form, by February 21, 2025. Submissions can be made online or via a printed form. Each student is allowed only one entry.
For more details or to read winning stories from previous years, visit omahalibrary.org/virginia-frank-memorial-writing-contest, opens a new window.
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