Two students from Northumberland College have had their work chosen for publication after entering a creative writing competition.
IT student Ian Angus and Grace Dunn, studying Health and Social Care, who are also taking GCSE English, were selected from a group of entrants from Northumberland College by Young Writers after submitting a 100-word mini-saga based around the theme of a ‘glitch’.
Ian said: “I came up with the idea after watching a schizophrenia documentary and thought it was interesting. I enjoyed putting my spin on the symptoms by making them real. I found coming up with the idea really difficult until I knew what I wanted to do. I’m glad it is going to be published.”
Grace added: “I thought of the idea for my story by thinking of a picture in my head then just going off of that image. I found it challenging to start the short story, but I enjoyed writing the story and just taking part in the competition. I feel happy and proud about my story being published.”
Their thrilling stories, about Bullying (Ian) and a house that spoke (Grace), will now feature in print with the duo attending an awards event on Tuesday 23rd April between 12noon-1.00pm at Northumberland College’s STEM Centre at Ashington Campus.
Laura Davison, Programme Leader for GCSE English at Northumberland College said: “I am very proud of Ian and Grace. Both students spent time carefully drafting, checking and editing their competition entries in class, and their hard work has paid off.
“What a great achievement for both students – well done.”
Having their work chosen for publication is not only a way of rewarding their hard work, but also allowing them to gain recognition for the talent and skills.
In addition to Grace and Ian, further students also had their work published:
Bethany Auty – ‘The Doll: A doll that was bought from a shop, it disappeared and then appeared.’
Grace Lucas – ‘The Glitch: Walking the dog, in a digital wonderland?’
Conner Spry – ‘A New Reality: Time stood still from Big Ben to every wristwatch.’
Alfie Thompson – ‘A haunted cabin with good and bad spirits.’
Emily Tams – ‘Walking into a new world. Then into a different country. How will I get back?’
Michelle Tait, Lecturer and Programme Leader for English at Northumberland College, added: “We are delighted that we have students from Kirkley Hall who have engaged with producing a piece of creative writing for the Young Writer’s competition.
“We are so proud of what they have achieved and that they are now published authors. We look forward to reading their stories in the book.”
The Young Writers competitions are held throughout the year, in varying forms, allowing students from across the UK to present their creative writing skills.
Having work chosen for publication is a great way of showcasing students’ talents. Too often, students studying GCSE English in FE lack confidence in their abilities. By entering competitions such as ‘Young Writers’, students are given a confidence boost and encouragement to succeed.
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