By Amy Keum
Staff Writer

The Beyond Words Club is sponsoring a creative writing contest giving students the chance at winning the grand prize: a brand new Kindle. They are accepting a large range of pieces from poems to short stories and any other kind of fiction writing.

The club’s 14 members will all vote to choose the grand prize winner. All submissions will be considered as material to be published in their next printing of the literary magazine.

Beyond Words publishes two issues a year, both black and white. They also publish one final issue that is in full color around April. These can be purchased for $5 at the the end of the school year and at the beginning of the next year.

Beyond Words has been established as a club for many years at Westford Academy, dating back to the 1970s. English Teacher Brian Mahoney is the advisor for the long-running club.

“We’ve been trying to elevate its status in the school. It’s an uphill battle because there are so many other clubs in the school. It’s tough to get peoples’ awareness only because there’s so many other things to do at Westford Academy,” said Mahoney.

The club decided to hold this contest to encourage more students to submit their creative works. The club also accepts art pieces and photography to showcase in their magazine.

Julia Stern, 17, is a senior at WA and is an active Beyond Words club member.

“We hope to gain more submissions and interests in the magazine through the contest but also promote literary and the hard work of our peers,” said Stern.

“We promote short stories, creative writing, poetry, any type of fiction, and even like short blurbs from novels which come from students from all over the school,” said Mahoney.