SOUTH HAMS 500 WORDS
2023 short story competition results
Adults' short story competition
THEME: Journeys (this could be interpreted in any way the entrants liked)
WINNER
Sweet Dreams are Made of This – Brenda Hutchings
"Stunning. Fantastic descriptive writing, gripping plot and a twist that caught me completely by surprise."
RUNNERS UP
"Beautiful descriptive language drew me in - and a lovely twist at the end."
"As sci-fi writing, this stands out from the crowd. An exciting story with an unpredictable ending."
Children's short story competition
Young Writers competition results
Secondary School judged by author Alison Huntingford.
11 – 15 years: River-Dawn Askew "The Start of My Journey"
16 – 19 years: Chloe Franchet "The Crossing"
Primary School judged by author Rob Holmes.
Overall Grand Winners for all primary schools:
Key Stage 1: Erin Jones "The Fire Horse" (Stowford School) Key Stage 2: Olivia "Erica" (Manor Primary School)
Winners from individual schools:
Cornwood Key Stage 1: winner = Alice, Class 1 "Finding your courage" (great short story). Highly Commended: Paddy, Class 1 "His bark was always with him!" (an exciting story) and Ellis, Class 2 (exciting story. Lots of action!)
Cornwood Key stage 2: winner: Lily-Mae, Class 2 "It was all just a dream" (great writing and drawings with a plot twist at the end). Highly Commended: Henry, Class 2 (the judge liked the sense of the journey down into the depths of the sea) and Zelah, Class 2 (exciting story. The judge says, ‘I could taste rocks in my mouth’. Mysterious ending!)
Erme School Key Stage 1: winner = Emilie Smith "The Wicked Witch" (great story with lovely adjectives, eg. ‘peacefully sunbathing’, ‘calm lovely morning’).
Erme School Key stage 2: winner = Milo (funny and moving story about a young salmon called Gerald. Highlights issue of plastics in the oceans. Great twist at the end). Highly Commended: Harry M. "In Timmy’s life infinite time loops and God will listen to him" (a very creative story about time and being able to create anything) and Nina J. "The World of Mythics" (Great world building. Great imagination).
Stowford School Key Stage 1: winner = Erin Jones "The Fire Horse" (great story about the elements of Fire and Water. With a cliff hanger at the end…. Brilliant!) Highly Commended: Amelie Cox. "Amber and the secret forest" (fantastic story, with a magic portal. Great use of language eg. “Amber nearly fell backward rubbing her eyes in amazement”).
Manor Primary School Key Stage 2: winner = Olivia "Erica" (a fantastic story about a time-machine roller-coaster. An angel called Erica show the children the damage from 1945 and WW2). Highly Commended: Gracie Luck "The day I met an alien and got superpowers" (science fiction epic where two girls help save the world from Ghost Aliens) and Esme Passmore "The Magical Dance" ("tears like rain trickled down her cheeks"... magical story to a land of Unicorns and trees with lollipops).
