A standing ovation for our grand winner:

MARIA ANGELINE PENNACCHI - GHOST OF ME
Known as a shy, quiet nature lover, Maria is a proud mother who loves the outdoors and can often be found sitting by the banks of the Delaware River. "Ghost of Me" was inspired and written at her favourite peaceful place beside the river.

Hold on, because the excitement doesn’t stop here! After much deliberation and admiration, we’re thrilled to announce the first runner-up of the Dreamscapes and Daydreams writing contest. The one whose words danced off the page, and we can’t wait for you to experience the magic created! The first runner-up of the Dreamscapes and Daydreams writing contest is…

Blow the trumpet. The first runner-up is:

ELIZA ASTER - THE LIBRARY OF EVERYTHING
Eliza Aster is a poet and musician with a deep love for fantasy and the beauty of the strange and unusual. Her poetry has been seen in places like The Penmen Review and Wingless Dreamer’s Vanish in Poetry anthology, and she has been recognised in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Currently, she writes a YA fantasy novel and creates music with her lyre.

Just when you thought the excitement had peaked, we’ve got one more surprise up our sleeve! The second runner-up of the Dreamscapes and Daydreams writing contest captured our hearts with a story that lingered in our minds long after we finished reading. Who could it be? Brace yourself, because the second runner-up is…

A big toast to our second runner-up:

JONATHAN MEMMERT - NOCTURNAL INTERRUPTION
Jonathan Memmert is a poet and writer who resides in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in NY City and has an MFA in Creative Writing from The City College of New York. His poetry has been published in Anti Heroin Chic, Heavy Feather Review Side A, Fourthreethree, Global City Review, 1455 Movable Type, Promethean Literary Journal, Artediolia: Swifts & Slows, The Closed Eye Open, and WILDsounds. He has read his poetry at WordshedNYC poetry events and the NY City Poetry Festival annual event for the past several years. He is currently the associate editor for the online poetry journal for emerging poets, The Marbled Sigh.

The thrill isn’t over yet! With so much incredible talent in the writing contest, we couldn’t stop at just the top three. We have a group of finalists whose words left us utterly spellbound, and now it’s time to reveal their names. Are you ready? The finalists who blew us away with their storytelling magic are…

Congratulations to our top finalists:

DIANA KOUPRINA - DOE EYES
Diana Kouprina is an immigrant and survivor of child abuse, domestic abuse, and sex abuse. It is her love for poetry that has aided her in going from victim to thriving survivor. Today, Diana Kouprina lives in Belmont, Mass., with her family and aims to help others who are struggling with her poetry and prose to give a voice to the voiceless.

BENJAMIN BISHOP - OUR LAST SUMMER
Benjamin Bishop is a writer from Southern California who lives with his wife, kids, and two dogs. His poetry, fiction, and nonfiction have appeared in Clever Fox Literary Magazine, The Expressionist Literary Magazine, The Malu Zine, Reverie Magazine, and elsewhere. His fantasy novel, The Valley of the Angels, is available on Amazon.

TRAVIS STEPHENS - DREAM’S EASY LIE
Travis Stephens is a tugboat captain who resides with his family in California. His book of poetry, “Skeeter Bit & Still Drunk,” was published by Finishing Line Press in 2022.

GRACE OSTROSKY - WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN THE LOVERS IN THE MEADOW
Grace Ostrosky, 18, is currently studying classics and education with the hopes of becoming a university professor of literature. Grace spends her free time reading, writing, and doing stupid things that she later worries about.

HALLE REGINA GEORGE - UNICORN HUNTING
Halle Regina George is a writer who spends most of the day working in advertising. She has previously been published in Midsummer’s Eve, The Wave, and Think 1, and was shortlisted for the BWP Prize. She lives in Los Angeles but still has a Boston accent.

GABRIEL MCLEOD - THIS BLUE EVENING
Gabriel is an artist and writer who currently lives on a corner of Earth nestled by trees. He shares his home with a vivacious daughter, two enigmatic felines, a disembodied spirit, and books that line the walls of every room. His work has been featured in The Elephant Journal, Poet's Choice, Beyond Words Literary Magazine, Storyteller, and Wingless Dreamer. He is currently working on his first collection of short stories for publication.

NICHOLAS BALDWIN - MASSACHUSETTS
Nicholas worked a corporate lifestyle for far too long and now says he is the happiest he’s ever been writing fiction novels, poetry, short prose, and freelance for magazines. He has been featured in Avalon Anthology (Jack Wild Publishing), Cabbages & Kings, Night Worship & All Hallow’s Eve Anthology (Wingless Dreamer Publishing), Edible Magazine, Menu Magazine, Kings River Review, and Syncopation Literary Magazine. Currently enrolled as an English/creative writing major with honors in college.

NIKKI FRYER - MYTHS AND LULLABIES
Nikki Fryer is an up and coming new voice from England. Diagnosed in 2021 with a progressive neurological disease, she found it increasingly difficult to draw and paint and turned to poetry as an alternative creative outlet. The themes in her work include familial bonds, aging, death, and childhood.