High School Writing Contest Winner Inspired by ‘The Help’

Courtesy of Peninsula Young Writers founder, Beth Harrison.

Alison Landes, a senior at Woodside High School won the prestigious Peninsula Young Writer’s Contest Grand Prize with her poems “Losing You,” “Dear Santa, Mommy, and Daddy I Don’t Know,” and “Something Like Flight.” She was presented her award, along with seven other high school students in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry on April 10.

“This year’s group of submissions to the Peninsula Young Writers contest was particularly strong,” said Beth Harrison, the founder and director of Peninsula Young Writers, a non-profit organization that holds writing workshops and camps for youth and sponsored this contest.

“We are thrilled to recognize and celebrate aspiring writers as well as high school writing programs.  My goal through Peninsula Young Writers is to support and cultivate exceptional writing and give these fabulous kids a chance to further develop their writing with the support of instruction and peer critique.”

The contest was judged by an independent panel, and awards were given to students from Sequoia, Carlmont, and Woodside High Schools. Submissions were received from a variety of schools in the Sequoia Union High School District.

Landes has been writing throughout high school, although this is her first connection with Peninsula Young Writers.

“I use poetry for creative release,” said Landes. “I have to have emotional turmoil to write it. The poem comes to me, and I just have to sit down to write it.”

Landes also writes autobiographical and non-fiction pieces.

Her three poems were inspired by the book and movie The Help, a prompt from her English teacher, and her own imagination.

Landes plans to pursue writing in college. She is deciding between Emerson College, Chapman University, and Boston College. All three have creative writing programs.

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