It’s that time again! Our annual Ghost Story Writing Contest has wrapped for 2025, and we’re still buzzing from all the creative, bone-chilling tales we got to read.
This year’s contest—our 36th!—pulled in a stack of stories from young writers all across HRM and had us turning the pages with the lights on.
With so many amazing stories, our judges had their work cut out for them. After a full-on reading marathon, they’ve selected the stories that spiked their fear-o-metre.
Now, we're excited to share the winning entries (and the talented writers behind them) with you. Tap the links below to read each story in PDF format.
Winning Entries
Ages 7–9
- The Dark Room, opens a new window by Angus Young
- Laura, opens a new window by Neva Schoen-Rene
- The Silent Hero, opens a new window by Michael Onwuzurike
Ages 10–12
- Something Beyond Explanation, opens a new window by Ridhima Mitra
- Revenge of the Mistreated, opens a new window by Peregrine Austin
- The Boy in the Woods, opens a new window by Michael Soni
Ages 13–15
- Lure of the Bell, opens a new window by Karina Coughran
- Secrets of the Mystery Mountains, opens a new window by Matthew Zhang
- Thrice on a Blood Moon, opens a new window by Emersen Borst
Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to submit a story. Your creativity is off the charts, and we loved every eerie and surprising moment. Keep writing, keep dreaming, and don’t stop exploring the unknown.
We also want to give a major thanks to the Helen Creighton Folklore Society and Nimbus Publishing for supporting this contest, and to our guest judge for lending their time and expertise.
Stay tuned for more writing contests and events in the new year. Until then, keep the flashlight handy and the stories coming!