WRITING COMPETITION 2009

The writing competition closed in October with entries coming in from all parts of the UK and from as far afield as South Africa and Thailand.

The event was in two parts with a short story competition and an illustrated article competition with competitors able to enter one or both of the categories.  The subject matter of the short story was open but had to start with the words, If only someone had listened…

The illustrated article competition was also open and those entries received covered a variety of topics and were in an assortment of styles.  Two relevant images also had to accompany the article and this was competently handled by all those who entered – particularly the winners.

Judges for the event were writer and magazine columnist Jane Wenham-Jones who officiated in the short story competition with editor, publisher and writer,  Diana Cambridge, deciding the winners in the illustrated article event.

Winner of the short story competition was Alma Harris of Grantham in Lincolnshire with ‘Freedom for Bridie’.  Alma has worked in journalism and public relations for most of her life and has had short stories published and featured on BBC Radio 4. 

The judge commented ‘An accomplished and unusual story, written from the point of view of a young girl observing another child from her window. An unsettling tale with interesting use of language and good page-turning quality. A very clear winner for me.’ Alma wins £200.

Second place was taken by R.A. Martens from Edinburgh with a story entitled ‘Creative Needlework’.  Working in counselling and therapy she has been writing seriously for about a year and secured £100 with this prize.  The judge commented, ‘Set in a hospital ward, this well-observed story of a battered wife and her fellow patient has some nice turns of phrase and good characterisation. An engaging tale that kept me reading.’

Third short story winner was Gary Ian David from West Sussex with a provocatively titled story ‘Crafty Shits’.   Gary has attended several creative writing course and has been placed in numerous writing competitions,  also having had material published in popular magazines.  Gary says that he ‘Simply loves writing.’  His love of writing produced winnings of £50 in this competition.  The judge commented, ‘A pacy account of the actions of an unbalanced and dangerous individual convinced "aliens" are after him, which has disturbing consequences. This story struck me as being a little different from the other entries. The writer uses a distinct voice and the story had page-turning quality but I thought the last sentence a little weak.’


The illustrated article competition was a new addition to our writing event and it was hoped that it would encourage short story writers to branch out into a different genre and try their hand at writing short, punchy pieces with photographs.       Unfortunately this wasn’t as well supported as we might have liked but nevertheless,  we did receive some interesting and entertaining entries.

The winner of the illustrated article event was Sally Jenkins from Sutton Coldfiled, West Midlands with a topical piece entitled ‘Credit Crunch Birmingham.’ Sally has had articles and stories published in leading magazines and competently handled the illustrations to accompany the article.  Sally won £200.

Judges comment ‘I felt this article had a lot of vitality as well as being topical and original - Birmingham as a destination on a budget, with good suggestions for lesser-known attractions like the Pen Room museum and Jewellery Quarter museum. The two images perfectly matched the tone of this piece, which I think could fit easily into a magazine like, for example, The Lady. The writing was entertaining and factual, with listings that were easy to find. In many ways, an ideal travel piece with ready-made pictures. The writer doesn't waste a single word, and the article moves on briskly and easily - it's the sort of feature that will stay in your mind. It could well propel the reader  into investigating the city and  its affordable attractions. A fine read, with excellent visuals’.

Second place went to Olva Lloyd from Burton-on –Trent with an article entitled ‘Light into Darkness’.   Olva has had an interest in churches and their stained glass for some time and he turned this interest to his best advantage with this article winning £100. 

Judges comment, ‘An informative feature but not too weighed down with history - an interesting topic written with a delicate touch. The writer manages to draw the reader into the subject instantly - making a specialised topic easy to read. The illustration - Life of Christ from the West Window of Tewkesbury Abbey - was exactly right for the piece. With listings thoughtfully provided of some of the best places to see stained glass, this was another feature which gave a generous amount of information in a friendly way - that "readability" factor that's so important. Again, I could see this in a local glossy magazine or perhaps a general magazine like The Lady.’

Third prize of £50 went to Eleanor Patrick of Northumberland who has been a writer for over 25 years working professionally in creating and selling both articles, short stories and books. 

Judges comment, ‘A travel journal for one week that's written with lots of careful description: the writer has put much effort into making the piece cliche-free and different from so many run of the mill travel pieces. I liked the "food" elements too - mention of pheasant from a farmers' market, and langoustine, lobster and crab offered all along the coast. From her descriptions - a house with walls " as thick as a hug, windows as small as a kiss", an area " polka-dotted with castles", the sporadic lights of "wayfarer pubs in stand-by mode" it was easy to picture the region, feel the atmosphere. The two illustrations were suitable for the piece: though more alternative images could be offered. With details of, say, holiday cottage websites and some pub listings added to the article, this too could catch an editor's eye.’


Due to the amount of organisation involved in the event it has been decided not to run a competition in 2010 but the event will be run again in 2011 and we hope that everyone will be encouraged to enter.

We would like to express our thanks to the judges for giving freely of their time and experience in judging the event and for their interest and support of our organisation.

We would also like to thank everyone who entered the competition and made donations to our organisation.  Your input, support and generosity was very much appreciated.