Winning a writing competition is a unique achievement. Our girls have done incredibly well, particularly given the strength of the field and the number of entries.
Cecilia and Louise, both in Year 12, have won first and third prize respectively in the National Flash Fiction Youth Competition. The competition, founded in 2013, is organized by the Department of English and the International Flash Fiction Association (IFFA). Cecilia’s winning entry was ‘The Affliction’, while Louse entered the competition with the story ’10:24’.
It is no surprise that both stories achieved recognition. They both started with mind-blowing and unexpected concepts, that would rival the work of many published authors. Their bold and punchy writing captivated us from the very first sentence, and as the plot was unfolding, the tension and the excitement was building up, making us wonder about the finale! Both girls introduced two incredibly original situations. Cecilia was dazzling in the description of a dystopic past – or perhaps a parallel reality- where a series of uncanny events occur in rapid succession culminating to a horror-struck ending; and Louise’s writing was just mesmerising as she introduced a time paradox, dragging us into a bizarre universe, where the inevitable was meant to happen.
Cecilia shared her thoughts: “I feel very honoured and validated by my victory. I owe a lot to Mrs Rodliffe: without her, I wouldn’t know about the competition or even flash fiction”. Louise, also said: "I am really pleased and proud to be awarded this prize. I would encourage anyone who enjoys writing, to enter competitions. It is so rewarding when you receive recognition. I’d like to thank Mrs Rodliffe for inspiring and supporting us."
We are also particularly proud of Esther, one of the winners of the Daunt Books Children’s Short Story Competition 2022! The Daunt Books Short Story competition is open to children between the ages of 4 and 15 and it celebrates their writing creativity. Esther’s story, ‘The Robin’, is about an old Jewish lady who looks back on life whilst with her family at Christmas. It is really hard to hold back your tears when you read it, an incredibly emotional piece that everybody can relate to, thinking of their loved ones. Despite her young age, Esther has produced a magnificent piece of work, that comes straight from the heart, with a round and vivid character who struggles to put together the pieces of her reality and memories, floating in-between.
Esther commented on her story: “I'm so pleased to be one of the winners of this year's Daunt Book’s Short Story Competition. My story - The Robin - is all about Jewish identity, memory and love and I can't wait to see it in print in the winners' anthology!”
Mrs Clare Rodliffe, Head of English at Redmaids’ High said: ‘I am so thrilled by the creative writing success that Esther, Cecilia and Louise have had recently. Esther's winning story is an incredibly mature and moving piece, and I have no doubt that she has a great writing future ahead of her. Cecilia and Louise's success in the National Flash Fiction competition was a real credit to their hard work and creativity: both girls are taking the AFA in Creative Writing as part of their Sixth Form studies, and I am very proud of how the writing talents of both girls are blossoming.”
A phenomenal achievement for our talented girls. We know that we will hear more from them in the future!