The Little Tokyo Historical Society has selected the winners for the sixth annual Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest, which included adult, youth and Japanese-language categories.
Winners will be revealed at a public reception on Thursday, April 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Union Church of Los Angeles, San Pedro and Third streets in Little Tokyo (enter from Third Street).
Actors Jonathan Ohye and Scott Keiji Takeda will present dramatic readings of the English-language winners’ work, while actress Megumi Anjo will read the winning Japanese-language short story.
Winners will each be awarded $500 and their short stories will be published in The Rafu Shimpo?and on the Discover Nikkei website. All finalists’ stories will be posted on the historical society’s website, www.littletokyohs.org/, by July 1.
“We appreciate the efforts of every person who submitted a short story,” said author Naomi Hirahara, chair of the Imagine Little Tokyo committee. “To complete a creative work is an accomplishment in itself.”
The following served as final judges: adult English-language — Sesshu Foster, Irene Simonian and Teresa Watanabe; youth — Stephanie Nitahara and James Sherod; Japanese-language — Shige Higashi and Duncan Williams.
The reception, which will be held in the multi-purpose room of the church, is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.