The entry deadline for Cariboo Festival 2013 is coming up on Tueday, Feb. 12.
The festival takes place in April and the free festival syllabus outlining the various registration categories for piano, vocal, choral, band, speech arts, and creative writing sections are available at the Open Book.
Festival spokesperson Michelle Erlandson reminds pospective creative writing participants that while they must register by the Feb. 12 deadline they don’t actually need to have their completed manuscripts submitted until March 15.
The creative writing adjudicator this year will be Christina Rogers from Smithers.
Rogers has been passionate about the written word for most of her life, winning her first poetry and story competitions at the young age of nine.
Before the age of 12, she had several poems published, specifically focusing on light narrative or reflective verse, credited to the influence of Tennyson, Shakespeare, and Wordsworth.
During this time, she performed some of her poems for audiences.
Then in her teens Rogers fell in love with free verse poetry, with an interest in modern poets such as T. S. Eliot.
Rogers also loves storytelling, and began writing a periodical for children that she helped publish for three years.
In 2008 her first non-fiction book, focusing on relationships, was published, and she has since done radio interviews in Canada, the US, and the UK.
Rogers has also had a handful of her articles published in various family oriented magazines, such as the Old Schoolhouse, and LIFE (UK).
She holds an ARCT in speech arts from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto where she received the Florence Memorial Scholarship and gold medal for the highest mark in Canada.
She has also completed exams with Trinity College in London England and spent several years teaching at the well-respected Speech Arts Studio in Edmonton AB.
Rogers has won many awards for her performances, including the best overall speech award four different times, the Telus Scholarship and first place at the provincial level.
Rogers currently teaches in Terrace, and Stewart B.C., with the goal of helping children connect with classic literature. She also enjoys musical theatre, voice, piano, and being a mom to her three children.