The Essex Life and Mighty Pens judging panel has been delighted to read so many creative and inspiring stories for our Young Writer Award 2022. From amazingly descriptive passages to exciting narratives, as well as some very accomplished writing voices, the competition has seen some strong writing talent from the young people of our county, from ages 8 to 16.
Essex Life and Mighty Pens would like to extend a huge thank you to every single person who entered; it’s been our privilege to read so many skillfully crafted stories. Shortlisted writers were: Joshua Howchen-Vines, Oreoluwa Fisher, Isa Thomas McColl, Isobel Easteal, Erykah Stanislas, Janie Horton and Flora So.
After much deliberation, the judging panel is proud to present our three winning stories for the Essex Life and Mighty Pens Young Writer Award 2022!
Janie Horton
Judge Hannah Gildart says: ‘This is a relatable tale of first love. With all the nostalgia of Laurie Lee’s Cider With Rosie, it evokes a wonderfully warm feeling.’
We’ve been here all afternoon and I don’t think I ever want to leave. Every now and then I stop to look at just how perfect she is. To consider what she’s thinking. To wonder why she’s here with me.
The hazy glow of the early evening sun almost outshines her smile. Almost. Noticing my endless stare, her eyes flick in my direction briefly before closing again.
‘You need something?’
The obviously sarcastic remark accompanied by a smug grin that I should have been expecting still managed to catch me by surprise. Ash never fails to surprise me.
Realising I’ve been caught up in my head and I’m still staring, I hastily avert my eyes to the ground and mutter a swift ‘nothing’ in the vain hope of dropping the conversation topic. It didn’t work.
‘Why were you staring at me? Do I have something on my face?’
That infuriatingly charming smirk hidden now in all but her glinting hazel eyes and I blush hastily, looking absolutely anywhere else. Now it’s her turn to stare. Why did she have to notice me now?
I lie back down on the blanket, sighing. Maybe I will be able to muster the courage to say something bold if I pretend I’m talking to myself.
‘Your face looks nice in the sun.’
Great. I’m sure that’ll make her swoon.
I bring a hand to my eyes to prevent further embarrassment from her inevitably confused reaction. But to my surprise, I heard laughter. Cautiously peeking out from between my fingers, I notice that she has stopped staring at me now and her gaze is cast upward. As her giggles die down, I close my eyes again. I’m happy to hear her laugh, as wonderfully bright and contagious as it is, but I would rather it not be at my expense.
I feel the weight of her softly coming to rest next to me as she says ‘I like you too.’ It was so brief that I almost didn’t catch it but I go still, lying in stunned silence, taking everything in. The moment is so perfect, almost better than I imagined, so I don’t want to ruin it. I can smell the warm aroma of her. She smells comforting.
A gentle breeze causes some leaves on an overhanging branch to shake a little. A small garden bird flits in and out of view. I can tell she’s waiting for me to say something but I can’t find the right words so all that comes out is an uncertain, ‘do you mean that?’
At this point, she takes my hand off of my face and clasps it tightly. My eyes take a moment to adjust to the brightness of the sun, haloing her face as she easily maintains eye contact with me. ‘I’ve never meant anything more.’
I examine her face a little. Even after a few seconds, she doesn’t falter or look away.
Is this real? Does she mean it? Ash really likes me?
It doesn’t take any thought. I instantly bolt up and pull her towards me. I may not be able to express myself through words, but this insanely tight hug is the only way I know how. I never want to let her go.
Oreoluwa Fisher
Judge Hannah Gildart says: ‘Oreoluwa’s expert use of personification is coupled with an excellent juxtaposition of light and dark.’
The sky is dark and dreary. Everyone is hiding indoors from the villain. All night it hangs around us and over us like a stalker. In the morning, people stay indoors because the clouds are still hanging around like a cold, dark blanket. Everyone in Essex cannot wait to be rescued from the mischievous villain.
Until... New signs of spring are in the air. The darkness is disappearing. The sun continues to wrestle with the dark clouds. There have been fights for months now. However, spring is starting to win. Every day the sun is shining brighter and brighter. Winter is beginning to surrender. The days are longer and brighter, which means people do not have to hide from the long dark nights. They look forward to going out and not being afraid to be caught by the villain of dark days and early nights.
In the fields, there are signs of life. The daffodils are dazzling and dancing in the soft, golden sunlight. As they dance, they are reminding us that the good sun will always win in the end. Watching them gives us a glorious feeling that all will be okay. The glimmering lake was shining against the sun light. On the lake there was a cute baby swan following its mother. Its white fur shined against the sunlight. Everyone was in awe of their beautiful ocean eyes. It was amazing.
We saw cute baby ducks waddling across the side of the lake. Their fur is as yellow as the sun. There were doves flying across the land; it looked beautiful. New baby animals were born in the farm and you could see their tiny white fur. It was so cute. You could hear them talking to their mum. I could smell the fresh smell of their fur like cotton. I could almost taste it as if it was cotton candy. Their eyes were as bright as the morning sun. They looked so innocent and peaceful. This was the day that our heroes rose.
Erykah Stanislas
Judge Hannah Gildart says: ‘The author’s strong sense of voice transports you to a whimsical, fairytale world.’
The girl danced, and as she danced, her glistening, golden hair flowed behind her. Her hair was as long as a long light brown rope. The woman’s hair is decorated with blossoms and lilacs. She was as light as a feather; her eyes were hazel-brown shimmer. The delicate woman wore an angel-white dress with cutesy frills and a great big smile was plastered on her porcelain doll face. Her voice was like an angelic bell. I heard her laugh. It was like a song, she was the most breath-taking, enchanting creature I have ever seen. Her long, golden hair made it impossible to see more of her beauty.
Squirrels, badgers and nutcrackers surrounded this beauty of a woman, and she fed them with nuts and grapes and a little bit of lilac. She skipped and twirled and sang. The sun illuminated her appearance and her gold hair, along with the fresh green grass and the flowers shone even more. I loved her. She was a beautiful, delicate princess, and I was her handsome, adventurous knight. I sat there daydreaming until a voice called me from behind.
‘COLIN!’ The voice hollered, snapping me out of my trance. I slowly turned around, only to be met with the King. My father. I scoffed in annoyance. My father always had an opportunity to ruin everything. I turned to look at my dad. He had such a fancy appearance. He was bulky in shape and wore tight mint-white clothing. Folds of fat were shown through the fabric. He wore lots of gold and always had a beaming smile. ‘My boy,’ my father said, looking me in the eye. ‘It is time that you stopped looking at that girl and came with me. I do admit,’ My father said, looking out of the open window, only to see the angelic, young woman dancing with that same warm smile on her face. ‘She is quite a beauty.’
I turned away and kept on looking out of the window. There were trees and squirrels running around. There were butterflies of all different shapes and sizes. And cute little badgers, eating raspberries and melon that lay on the floor. I also saw the crystal-clear river, crocodiles swimming in the beautiful lake. Fire flies flew around, making the scenery even more beautiful and enchanting. I sighed happily. My dad had a look of confusion on his face. ‘I don’t get it,’ my dad said suddenly. ‘Why are you so concerned with such a woman?’ I had a million reasons why I loved that woman, but decided to say one thing. ‘Because, dad,’ I said, not looking at him. ‘She’s a stunning gem.’
I had to see that girl! I ran out, slamming the door behind me. My view on the young petite woman grew bigger and bigger. I reached her. I noticed that my steps must have made the woman quite frightened, because when she saw me, she gasped and tried to run. I got scared, thinking that I lost my chance of interacting with this lovely, beautiful and angelic woman. ‘Oh my, please wait!’ I yelped, grabbing her lightly. She stopped trying to run and looked at me. I looked back at her, and it had seemed that everything had stopped in time and space. The air began to sing a sweet song that filled the sky. It was just us. Us alone.
I stopped and let go of her hand, but she didn’t make an attempt to run. Instead, she walked closer to me and said something that I didn’t think she would say. ‘I’m Skye,’ the woman said, smiling at me. ‘Skye Beauty.’ Skye added. I stared at her and smiled. A beautiful name, fit for a beautiful woman. I thought that since she gave out her name, I decided to introduce myself to this gem of a woman. ‘Colin Hart,’ I said, smiling.
We sat down. As squirrels and birds danced around us, the fireflies flew around, illuminating the trees and the fresh, green grass. They made a faint buzzing sound, which was very relaxing. We sat there in silence for a few seconds. I turned to look at her. She was even more beautiful close-up. ‘What is our future?’ I said enthusiastically and unexpectedly. The woman turned her head around to gaze at me, a massive grin was plastered on the woman’s icy-pale face.
The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
