Ontario teens Claire Bisch, Leila Djuric win The First Page student writing challenge
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Canadian teens Claire Bisch and Leila Djuric have won The First Page student writing challenge for 2025.
Students from across the country imagined how current events and trends — from artificial intelligence and climate change to cloning and war — have played out in the year 2175.
The 21 finalists and eventual winners were chosen from about 1,000 entries.
Bestselling YA author S.K. Ali was this year's The First Page judge. Ali selected the 2025 winners from two shortlists — one from each age category.
Claire Bisch, 14, a student at Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School in Waterloo, Ont., is the winner in the Grades 7 to 9 category for You Will Not Remember. The story is about climate change and government corruption.
"In You Will Not Remember, deft, tense writing anchors us quickly in the room with the protagonist, communicating her place in a world we immediately understand," said Ali.
"The story presents us with a conflict that will undoubtedly awaken a hero we want to follow into this story promising action, internal growth, and resonant themes for our world."
Bisch spoke about what it means to win the contest.
"Thank you so much to the CBC for giving this opportunity to young writers. I am truly grateful for being shortlisted and for being chosen as the winner by S.K. Ali. Congratulations to all the other finalists!" she said.
The 14-year-old also spoke about how she approached the challenge.
"I've been reading a lot of dystopian novels lately and was inspired to write something in the genre for The First Page Contest. My approach was to portray a post-climate-change world where the lead character learns that everything she thought she knew was a lie, but that there's this glimmer of hope in the image of the plants."
Djuric, 17, a student at Rosedale Heights School of The Arts in Toronto, is the winner in the Grades 10 to 12 category for Digital Silence. The story is about AI taking over social media.
" Digital Silence features beautiful writing — balancing action and elegantly-captured internal processing — gradually stirring questions we want answered," Ali said about the winning entry.
"We just know we'll be carried into a story promising sophisticated themes, a sublime storyline and a likeable, [activated] hero."
Djuric spoke about what winning this contest means.
"I'm so grateful to have my work recognized by a massive media outlet like CBC, it's incredibly validating as a young creator," the teen told CBC Books.
The 17-year-old also spoke about her approach to crafting a first page.
"I planned out how a full story with my idea would (roughly) go from start to finish. Once I had that in my mind, I was able to work backwards. I wrote the first page with foreshadowing for a larger story that I may never write, but it was a captivating challenge nonetheless."
OwlCrate, a monthly book subscription service, and 50 books for each of their school libraries.
You can read the shortlisted entries below.
Grades 7 to 9 category finalists
You Will Not Remember by Claire Bisch, 14, from Waterloo, Ont.
The Last Human Athlete by Mehr Chandhok, 14, from Edmonton
The City of Numa by Jacob Fallah, 14, from West Vancouver, B.C.
Copy 097 by Amy Huang, 14, from Edmonton
The Way It Has To Be by Aisling Knight, 14, from Calgary
Wilted Reality by Averie Lauren Lee, 13, from Toronto
The Glass Cage by Ayo Matuluko, 14, from Halifax
The Live Spectacle by Ranti Oyebode, 14, from LaSalle, Ont.
My Tree by Eydie Padfield, 15, from Ottawa
The Unnatural Creature Extermination Project by Angela Zhang, 12, from Calgary
Grades 10 to 12 category finalists
Angel or the Devil by Erin Bergman, 18, from Edmonton
The Last Free Election by Lara Vicky Coutinho, 16, from Toronto
Day of Rebirth by Sophie Ding, 17, from Markham, Ont.
Digital Silence by Leila Djuric, 17, from Toronto
Loan Shark by Isioma Efobi, 16, from Airdrie, Alta.
Our Hidden Life at Camp Tamarack by Laurel Gilchrist, 15, from Edmonton
Bring Me a Medic by Alice Kim, 16, London, Ont.
The Red Annihilation by Ellie Leung, 15, from Newmarket, Ont.
Harbourer of Apollo by Alice Reierson, 15, from Calgary
The Lightkeepers of the Mind by Kaylee Selvarajah, 15, from Vaughan, Ont.
Toronto by Jessica Yang, 16, from Richmond Hill, Ont.
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