Inaugural Ned Vizzini Teen Writing Prize Recognizes New York City’s Next Generation of Literary Talent Prose and Poetry Winners Selected from More than 300 Contest Submissions Award Celebrates Beginning Writers, Honors Late Brooklyn Author Brooklyn, NY—At a ceremony last night in the Dr. S. Stevan Dweck Cultural Center, Brooklyn Public Library awarded the inaugural Ned Vizzini Teen Writing Prize to a pair of extraordinarily gifted young writers. Brooklynite Stina Trollbäck earned first prize in the prose category for “Zeroed Out,” a dystopian science fiction where the value of a life is always changing, while Manhattan resident Kat Snoddy won top honors in poetry for “A Meal,” a surreal meditation on the transience of life. The Library’s annual teen writing contest was renamed this year for late author Ned Vizzini, whose hilarious and heartbreaking works of young adult fiction continue to inspire readers and writers of all ages. As Ms. Trollbäck noted, Vizzini captivates audiences with his ability to “express emotions in ways the reader has never encountered before.” “Ned Vizzini was a singular talent and a great friend to Brooklyn Public Library,” said BPL President and CEO Linda E. Johnson. “Not only did he do some of his best writing at [the] Central Library, he was always happy to support and lend his time to BPL events and programs. We hope the Vizzini Prize will inspire young authors to find their voices and share them with the world.” More than 300 submissions were received, including five from Stuyvesant High School, Mr. Vizzini’s alma mater. The awards carry cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100 for the top three finalists in each category. "The Ned Vizzini Teen Writing Prize is huge on so many levels. Our hope is [that] it will inspire new voices, giving them a greater chance to be heard,” said writer and book critic Sabra Embury, Mr. Vizzini’s wife. “Plus Ned started out the same way—an ambitious teen who had something to say. I receive letters often from his readers who have found strength to speak freely—from his books. Most of them go on to write their own stories. It just goes to show [that] when someone, anyone, believes in, early on, what you're trying to accomplish as a creative—it makes a world of difference." The ceremony featured readings from the teen winners, and a panel of noted YA authors discussing their writing process and inspirations and answering audience questions. The panelists included:

• Coe Booth, author, Tyrell, Kendra, and Bronxwood
• Soman Chainani, author, The School for Good and Evil trilogy
• Meg Medina, author, Yaqui Delgado Wants To Kick Your Ass and Burn Baby Burn
• Tommy Wallach, author, We All Looked Up and Thanks for the Trouble

The winners and finalists were: Prose

• First prize—Stina Trollbäck, grade 10, La Guardia Arts: “Zeroed Out”
• Second prize—Roberta Nin Feliz, grade 12, Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics: “Las Mujeres No Hablan Las Cosas De Familia”
• Third prize—Adil Gondal, grade 9, Stuyvesant High School: “Emulation of Girl”

Poetry

• First prize—Kat Snoddy, grade 11, Horace Mann High School: “A Meal”
• Second prize—Odelia Fried, grade 10, SAR High School: “Lady Macbeth, after Duncan”
• Third prize—Lucy Berry, grade 9, Brooklyn Prospect Charter School: “Where She’s From”

  #          #          # About Brooklyn Public Library Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website: www.bklynlibrary.org.