Christopher Wilkerson writes and wins
On March 19, 2026, Catholic High teamed up with Mount St. Mary and headed off to Lit Fest, a conference-style, daylong event celebrating all things literary, hosted by Eli Cranor and Arkansas Tech University. Students received a campus tour, listened to authors discuss their craft, and enjoyed a long lunch at ATU’s cafeteria. Lit Fest also featured a writing competition. Students from across the state submitted stories with the stipulation that they take place in Arkansas.
Junior Christoper Wilkerson entered his story “Where the Rivers Return,” set on nearby Wye Mountain. The tale explores how humans wrestle with their mortality. It was enough to catch Mr. Cranor’s attention and runner-up honors, as well as a $250 prize. We sat down with Christopher to learn more about his experience writing “Where the Rivers Return,” and what it means to be Catholic High’s next literary legend.
Q: What is your experience as a writer?
A: Very little outside of academic scenarios. Freshman year, I wrote a 2-page short story inspired by what we were reading in Coach Diaz’s Honors English class. I took Composition as a sophomore, which was pretty beneficial, plus I had Mrs. Conyer for English II. I don’t write as much as I’d like, but I would love to get more into it.
Q: What compelled you to write for Lit Fest?
A: Around the time I first heard about it, the week we were stuck in the snow, Mrs. Conyer talked a lot about the short story contest. She mentioned Stephen King and all the stories he wrote while stuck inside, and that stayed with me.
Q: What was the inspiration for your story?
A: In Philosophy Club, we discussed moral nihilism, and I read this quote from Steve Jobs, “If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right,” which made me wonder about the natural human response to mortality and death, and the meaning of it all. Every now and then, I’d lose motivation to do things because I would wonder why they mattered. In 5, 10, 20 years, maybe it wouldn’t matter, but in the moment, it does because you find enjoyment in it.
Q: What’s the main message of your story you want readers to take away?
A: Don’t live for the destination. Live for the journey. It’s kind of a counterargument to nihilistic values. Mortality shouldn’t ruin people’s empathy and care. If the world ended tomorrow, would you stop caring?
Q: Did you run into any roadblocks when writing your story?
A: Roughly 70% of “Where the Rivers Return” describes nature. It’s symbolic and a big part of the story I wanted to tell. Trying to visualize that nature and putting what I see into words was very tough, so I mapped out the plot points, then went back and wrote the paragraphs with nature imagery.
Q: How did it feel to be the First Runner-Up in the writing contest at Lit Fest?
A: I was talking to some of the Mount students beforehand, and a lot of them had submissions. Suddenly, I was super nervous. When getting to the awards and hearing Eli Cranor read “…dark green trees,” I immediately knew I had won. Seeing him and Ayana Gray standing on stage, the green ambient lights shining, and hearing the cheers from my peers felt very unreal. When I got on the bus after the event ended, I was met with applause from everyone on board.
Q: What would you say to anyone thinking about writing for next year’s festival?
A: The short story writing contest was a nice outlet for my creativity. I don’t have the most time in the world to spend writing, but this contest gave me a reason and a goal. For anyone wanting to be a writer, this is a great way to get on your feet.
Those wishing to read “Where the Rivers Return” can do so by reading below.
