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The winners of the 2022 Erma Bombeck Writing Competition, sponsored by the Washington-Centerville Public Library, touched the judges' funny bones and hearts with humorous and poignant essays ranging from a contemporary, hilarious version of “the talk” with a teenage son to the graceful acceptance of a father’s death.

The four winning writers receive a free registration to the Oct. 20-22 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, $1,000 and publication of their essays online and in the workshop's program. Here's who topped the field of 486 entries received from six countries (Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and U.S.), 48 states and the District of Columbia:

“My New British Boyfriend,” Dorothy Rosby, Rapid City, South Dakota (humor, global)

Judge’s comments: “I loved the voice here, so much like Erma. The little bits of self-deprecating humor, as when the narrator needs help spelling words, go a long way toward making her more accessible, more of a ‘buddy’ to the reader, and that’s what makes such a strong connection between reader and writer.”

“The Talk,” Rachel Grise, Piqua, Ohio (humor, local)

Judge’s comments: “A nice update on a classic parental concern. Seemed very ‘Erma” to me, great job!”

“By the Numbers,” Rita Lussier, Jamestown, Rhode Island (human interest, global)

Judge's comments: "This essay brought me to tears. You had a strong opening, smooth transitions and an emotional/targeted ending. The reader can feel you walk through the grieving process. The language of numbers worked wonderfully as a unifying element. Great essay!”

“Truth and Fairy Tales,” Lindsey Roth, Dayton, Ohio (human interest, local)

Judge's comments: “This is a great essay. You navigate the range of ‘brutal’ honesty with ‘love’s swathe’ in a touching way. Ending the essay with the sweetness of bedtime routine within a greater frame of the world’s challenges is well done. Also, there is a nice amount of humor to soften the hard edges of reality.”

Six writers received honorable mentions, $100 and publication of their essays online:

“Play Nice,” January Ornellas, Moorpark, California (humor, global)

“Driven by Love,” Suzy Girard-Ruttenberg, Boca Raton, Florida (humor, global)

“School Dispirited,” Elizabeth Trende, Delaware, Ohio (humor, local)

“Love Expands,” Elizabeth Baldwin, Hookwood, United Kingdom (human interest, global)

“An Act of Love,” Kathryn Leehane, San Jose, California (human interest, global)

“The Crash,” Patricia Washington, Euclid, Ohio (human interest, local)

It took a small village of established authors, columnists, creative writing teachers, screenwriters, editors and stand-up comedians to read and evaluate more than 218,000 words during preliminary and second rounds of judging. Two prolific writers — Max Pross and Susan Pohlman — served as finalist judges for the humor and human interest categories, respectively. “With every round, our judges commented on the quality of the essays and how difficult it was to choose the very best. We received feedback on almost all essays, and I’ll be working diligently over the next couple of months to get those out to our writers. The Erma contest has established itself as one of the premier contests in the field, and I am thrilled!" said Debe Dockins, who coordinates the biennial contest for the Washington-Centerville Public Library in affiliation with the workshop.

Cindy Ratzlaff and Kathy Kinney of Queen of Your Own Life will keynote the virtual 7 p.m. awards ceremony on Wednesday, March 23. The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Register here.

Besides the writing competition, the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop sponsors a biennial writer's residency, A Hotel Room of One's Own: The Erma Bombeck | Anna Lefler Humorist-in-Residence. Meet the winners.

For more information on the fall workshop, click here. To register, visit here.