A ‘Last Note’ on a Candy Wrapper – Student Wins Library’s Matchbook Story Contest

High school student Isabella Gutierrez is the winner of the seventh annual Matchbook Story Contest, which asks participants to write a short story that can fit inside a matchbook.

Library Foundation SD CEO Patrick Stewart announced the winner at the seventh annual Shorties, San Diego’s shortest and quirkiest awards gala. on Thursday.

Gutierrez’s winning story was selected from 537 total entries – the most the contest has received to date – by the six previous winners of the Matchbook Story Contest.

Here’s the Shortie by Gutierrez: “I wrote my last note to her on the back of a Starburst wrapper. I even drew a heart next to my name. Years later she told me she had it pinned to her wall all through high school, until the bright red had faded and the words lost their meaning.”

The Shorties featured a dramatic reading of the top 10 finalists’ stories by Write Out Loud, a group of performers who offers readings of literature. Kurt Winbigler, Ravinder Sangha, Roxana Rad, Rebecca Pollard, Diana Manley, Judith Leggett, Anna Hallett, Timothy Calaway, Claire Hsu Accomando were the other finalists.

There was also a dramatic mimed reinterpretation of the 2022 winning story, penned by Cindy Chen.

Gutierrez also received a $50 Library Shop gift card and will have her piece printed on 2,000 limited-edition matchbooks to be sold at the Library Shop in January.

The Matchbook Story Contest this year raised more than $7,000 for Library Foundation SD, an organization dedicated to supporting the San Diego Public Library through philanthropy, advocacy and outreach.

Funds were triple-matched by Library Foundation SD trustee Judith Wenker for the second consecutive year.