Short story competition organised by Honiton and District Writers’ Group attracts 300 entries.

Hundreds of budding novelists entered this year’s Young Writer’s Competition, staged by Honiton and District Writers’ Group.

Winners were presented with their awards by author T M Alexander at the Deer Park Country Hotel.

No fewer than 300 children from East Devon schools entered the contest, organised by John Carter and generously supported by the Gibbons Trust.

They were challenged to write a 750-word short story on any subject.

In addition to a framed certificate and a book token, the six junior winners received a signed copy of one of T M Alexander’s books and seniors a signed copy of Anthony Horowitz’s latest book.

Commenting on the high quality of the entries and the wonderfully colourful and imaginative ideas of this year’s writers, the judge told the audience how she had started writing her children’s books.

“I love coming here, the stories are always fascinating and have such variation,” she said.

“I’ve only been a writer since 2009, but I absolutely love it. You are all starting well before I did, but I have got some bad news for you, if you think you may want to be a writer, you already are. Congratulations you are on your way!”

As she presented the prizes to winners, T M Alexander gave each child the reasons for choosing their story and read passages from it, to the delight of those present.

The winners were loudly applauded by an enthusiastic audience many of which later commented on how valuable the experience of writing for and winning the competition had been for their children.

Writing group chairman Pat Snelling gave her thanks to all those who had sent in their work to be judged and particularly to the teachers and parents who had encouraged them in their efforts.

T M Alexander was presented with a bouquet by one of the winners, Sophie Land, of Honiton.

The evening ended with parents and children talking informally with the judge and members of the writers’ group over supper.

Young Writers Competition 2012

Shortlist 5 to 8

Harry Mills (Otterton) 8 “Self-Esteem in Hell” (JSC) (No title given) James Pring (Otterton) 8 An Adventure with Teggs and Mr Rex

Lucy Coddington (Axminster) 6 Captain Spears Fantastic Adventure

Hattie Taviner (Honiton) 8 At the Bottom of the Garden

Edward Cooper (Ottery St. Mary) 8 The Story of Goblins and Edward

Oliver Cassidy 3rd (Budleigh Salterton) 5 The Two Donuts

Tabitha Beadman (Ottery St Mary) 6 The Unicorn, Lion and Tiger; their Best Adventure

Joshua Potts (Honiton) 7 The Great Discovery of Robot Alien

Lene’ May Clapp (Dunkerswell) 8 The Halloween Ball

Emily Allen 2nd (Colyton) 7 Mrs Bishbosh

Milly Partridge (Beer) 7 Hollywood Adventures

Isla Manville (Beer) 7 Albert The Reindeer

Kynan Chapman (Beer) 8 Dragon in My Room

Lucie Sivier-Voller (Seaton) 8 The Limpet

Melissa Aris 1st (Beer) 8 The Girls go Trick-or-Treating

Also on the Long List for this group, from which the shortlist was made

Imogen Knivett (Beer) 8

Louis Roulson (Honiton) 8

William Stidwell (Shute) 8

Skylar Nurse 7 (Shute) 8

Young Writers Competition 2012

Shortlist 12 to 15

Amy Roulson (Honiton) 12 Ivy All Alone

Jemma Carter (Ottery St. Mary) 14 My Sweetest Downfall

Francesca Cade (Honiton) 13 Racing Spirits

Claudia Everest-Phillips 1st (Sidmouth) 13 The Lady

Sophia Land 2nd (Honiton Com. Col.) 13 Jade

Benjamin Brake (Seaton) 15 Plague

Lucy Bilton (Clyst Vale Com. Col.) 13 Lynette and Jed

Annabelle Bradbury-Archard (Honiton) 13 Solace Moon

Lauren Real (Seaton) 15 Ice Capped

Abigail Pyne (Sidmouth) 13 The Fox the Hounds and the Horses

Mathew Jones (Coombe Raleigh) 13 Shadow

Angus Roy (Honiton) 12 The Great Midnight Feast

Sara Underwood 3rd (Colyton) 13 Tidal Wave

Georgina Brimblecome (Clyst Vale Com. Col.) 14 Chapter 63 1/2 0+X

Katie Martin (Clyst Vale Com. Col.) 13 Chapter 63 Callum

Dylan Winter (Clyst Vale Com. Col.) 13 Callum’s Point of View

Jimmy Blackmore (Clyst Vale Com. Col.) 13 On Callum

Young Writers Competition 2012

Shortlist 9 to 11

Charlie Vivian (Dunkerswell) 10 Spooky Halloween Mystery

David Carr (Beer) 10 Halloween

Jack Francis 1st (Woodbury) 9 Pirate Builders

Olivia Kate Bedford (Beer) 10 One Christmas

Sohie Thwaites (Honiton) 10 Bad Bear Bakes Cakes

Molly Clinch (Beer) 9 Shadows

Jed Pinnock (Beer) 9 The New World

Oceana Welch (Dunkerswell) 9 Oceana’s Great Adventure

Julia Thwaites (Honiton) 10 Journey under the Earth

Guy Susevee 3rd (Ottery St. Mary) 10 Abandoned

Megan Glover (Honiton) 11 Flash of Evacuation

Danie Jenkins (Honiton) 10 South African Friends

Harry Shepherd (Littletown, Honiton) 11 Pumpkin Man

Samual Steel (Honiton) 10 The Goblin Adventure

Keeley Browning (Honiton) 11 Tom Goes to the Park

Bethan Powell (Honiton) 10 The Mysterious Garden

Sally Gibson (Sidmouth) 9 The Magic Mirror

India Hansford (Chardstock) 9 Carthorse Cuteness

Natasha Pavey 2nd (Honiton) 10 Super Hero

Also on the Long List for this group, from which the short list was made

Isabel Sutcliffe (Honiton) Tom Fitzgerald (Beer

Ella Durham (Exmouth) Lucy Wood (Honiton)

Sam Pyne (Otterton) Lucy Brown (Ottery St Mary)

Toby Whitfield (Sidmouth) Olivia Bedford

Taylor Little (Awliscombe) Amy Alford (Ottery St. Mary)

Elton Grimble (Beer) Kristen Hawkins (Awliscombe)

Tabitha? (Beer) Skylar Nurse (Shute)

Molly Clinch William Stidwell (Shute)

Owen Barriball (Axminster) Lydia Brown (Ottery St Mary)

George Tomkins (Feniton) Jenny Brown (Ottery St Mary)

Anya Hawtin (Otterton) Luke Gouldson (Littledown)

Emily Lee (Honiton) Owen Willis (Littledown)

Ryan Hutter (Honiton)

Lauren Patmore (Honiton)

Jess Eveleigh (Honiton)