The English Department is celebrating as seven Third Form pupils will be published authors as of January. They each wrote a 100-word story on the theme of ‘Trapped’ in their Creative Writing club and have been selected for their imaginative take on the task.
The pupils’ work will feature in an anthology titled Trapped: Future Authors, published in January 2021.
The lucky seven are Jiawei Wang (Wa), Eason Zheng (GH), Annabel Curry (Wa), Violet Tobin (Je), Orson Morris (Hu), Lucas Jones (Je) and Sienna Raincock (GH).
The anthology’s editor, Wendy Lee, said: “This year’s challenge was to write a mini saga, a story told in just 100 words, on the theme of trapped. Packed full of tension and suspense (with a few surprise endings too), we have loved reading every single mini saga we received. The published stories were selected from over 16,000 entries nationwide.”
Miss Natalie Bubbear, Acting Head of English, added: “We are delighted that the Lower School pupils are taking advantage of the many writing opportunities they are being given. To be rewarded by becoming published authors is a great achievement!”
Below are two of the winning stories.
The Wire
I wish I had taken the stairs. Heart pounding, I scrambled around the bottom of the elevator shaft, looking for a sign of something. My hair stood on end, as the cables of the elevator rattled and creaked, heading towards me. I was panicking now, shouting and screaming until my throat grew hoarse. Suddenly, I noticed a door labelled ‘Fire Exit’. My heart leapt, as did my feet; my hands just brushed the bottom of the door. Clenching onto the metal bar beneath I was getting somewhere. I strained – almost there! Then the wire snapped…
Violet Tobin
The Attic
I walked in, quivering with fear. I felt like the frostbite was going to get the better of me. The dim, dull and dismal light of my candle led me to a derelict door. It was calling for my spirit. The weeds were thick and as sticky as glue. They wrapped around my legs and fastened like steel. I tugged with all my might, screaming and shouting for help but to no avail. Suddenly, the dilapidated attic shuddered and trembled. I sank deeper into gripping weeds and I wondered if I would see the daylight ever again.
Lucas Jones
