A LANGLEYDALE girl will travel to Windsor Castle next week after reaching the final of a prestigious story-writing competition.
Staindrop Academy pupil Emily Gibson is one of only 25 entries selected in her age group for BBC Radio 2’s 500 Words story-writing competition. Each year tens of thousands of aspiring writers from across Britain enter the competition, which has the Duchess of Cornwall as a judge. The competition works by whittling the entries down to 5,000 semi-finalists in each of the two age group categories, which are then passed on to the independent Reading Agency to determine the finalists. On receiving news of her achievement, the 12-year-old said: “I couldn’t believe it. It was amazing to think I am one of only 25 in the country. When I got through to the 5,000 I didn’t expect to get any further really.”
The grade seven pupil said she had thought about entering in previous years, but never had an idea that she felt was good enough.
She added: “I have been trying to think of something extraordinary, but this was ordinary but unique.”
The story is told in two parts, with the first part leaving the reader wondering what type of torturous prison the narrator has been thrown into. Early in the second section the reader learns the narrator is a football sock lost in a washing machine, but the young writer cleverly adds a second twist to bring her 500 words to a conclusion. There is also bit of humour mixed in.
The youngster is no stranger to successful writing and while at Woodland Primary School her poem about the First World War was selected to feature in an anthology produced by The Bowes Museum.
As for her future, she said: “I’d like a career in science or to be an author. I’d definitely go for children’s books, with action or mystery.”
Mum Dawn said: “She loves school. She loves English. She loves science. She loves history. I don’t know where she gets it from. It was amazing for her to have got to the 5,000 – we couldn’t believe it. Then to get to the final... It is something that happens to other people’s children.”
Mum and daughter will travel down to London on Thursday next week, with an early start on Friday to be in time to be seated at Windsor castle at 6.30am.
The final will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 during the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show.
