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)
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