ROTARY YOUNG WRITER
Creative writing is a talent to be celebrated and to be able to write is a special gift. In Great Britain and Ireland there are young people who have, or have the ability to develop this talent and we wish to promote writing through the Rotary Young Writer competition. Starting with club level competitions, winners progress to district events and ultimately, a national final with the winning work subsequently published in Rotary magazines and on this website. The quality of work submitted in previous years has been outstanding.
This three stage national competition aims to encourage development of writing skills. If offers young people the chance to;
Junior 7 – 10 years (by the 31 August each year)
Intermediate 11 – 13 years (by the 31 August each year)
Senior 14 – 17 years (by the 31 August each year)
An amanuensis can be used for entrants with motor control difficulties to record their work to paper.
This three stage national competition aims to encourage development of writing skills. If offers young people the chance to;
- Practice their writing skills
- Write with imagination and creativity
Junior 7 – 10 years (by the 31 August each year)
Intermediate 11 – 13 years (by the 31 August each year)
Senior 14 – 17 years (by the 31 August each year)
An amanuensis can be used for entrants with motor control difficulties to record their work to paper.
Young Writer 2016
For the first time, in collaboration with the Writer's Centre in Norwich, we have offered Young Writer Competition as one of the Youth Opportunities that our club supports. In recognition of Norwich being the U.N.E.S.C.O City of Literature it seemed a great chance to engage with schools and challenge their young writers to 'have a go'. The task was to write a piece of prose or poetry on the theme of 'Our World is Beautiful.' Writers were divided into three categories, Junior, Intermediate and Senior. The winners have now been selected and notified. One of the teachers exclaimed 'You have made my day!' when given the results. As organisers we felt that rewarding effort and participation was very valuable and exciting.
Our first presentations took place at Taverham Hall School and Catton Grove Primary School.
Clara Holmes from Taverham Hall School was the winner of the Intermediate category. (ages 11 - 14) Clara is already a very competent young writer who has completed a wide range of genres. She said it was her ambition to become an author and illustrator eventually. She decided to write a poem as she thought that suited the title 'Our World is beautiful'. She describes how our beautiful world is in great danger from climate change and all the things that we would miss if they were obliterated by our carelessness.
Our next visit, to Catton Grove Primary School, was for the Junior category. The winner was Ella Reilly who, at 8 years old was the youngest entry into the competition. Catton Grove has a Writing Club, and our competition was chosen as their project for the autumn term. In second place was Hannah Straight.
Clara Holmes from Taverham Hall School was the winner of the Intermediate category. (ages 11 - 14) Clara is already a very competent young writer who has completed a wide range of genres. She said it was her ambition to become an author and illustrator eventually. She decided to write a poem as she thought that suited the title 'Our World is beautiful'. She describes how our beautiful world is in great danger from climate change and all the things that we would miss if they were obliterated by our carelessness.
Our next visit, to Catton Grove Primary School, was for the Junior category. The winner was Ella Reilly who, at 8 years old was the youngest entry into the competition. Catton Grove has a Writing Club, and our competition was chosen as their project for the autumn term. In second place was Hannah Straight.
The senior competition had Joint winners, Miles Gill from Langley School and Harvey Stevens from Reepham High School. Both the senior winners took unusual slants on the topic. Harvey entitled his very original piece of prose 'The Legend of Earth 'Extract from Old Legends 2500'. Miles described a world that had become colourless because of sadness over the loss of his sister, but regained its colour when they are reunited. We understand from their teachers that they were 'over the moon' to win prizes.
We will definitely build on the experience we have gained during this, our first year of the competition, and hope to increase our schools base even further in the following years.
Mary Beardwood
We will definitely build on the experience we have gained during this, our first year of the competition, and hope to increase our schools base even further in the following years.
Mary Beardwood
Click on a button to see the entries
Prize giving
On our visit to Reepham High School and College to present the senior prize, we had the pleasure of meeting Ruby Daniels who is on a work-experience placement at the school. Ruby works closely with the Writer’s Centre and was given the task of organising Young Writer at the school for them. She was full of enthusiasm and had definitely contributed to making the competition a big success.
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