Write Your Own Historical Story Competition and the Joan Blyth Memorial Prize 2014.

Once again the competition has been a success with 101 stories from 40 schools across the country, and a couple from abroad. All the entries are admirably creative. Our young writers have chosen to set their stories across time and space; we've seen convincing
settings from Ancient Egypt to 9/11. Many have been writing as part of a whole class or year group study fitting in with the national curriculum; so we have read stories from Medieval and Tudor England, from the transatlantic slave trade and from the front lines of the First and Second World Wars. Our writers have successfully brought to life revolutionaries and spies, slaves and traitors, teachers, villains and warriors. The best stories revolved around an interesting problem that drove their plot and where historical detail was used to establish their setting and inform the action without it intruding on the narrative.

All entries were acknowledged by email, where this was given, and were carefully read to produce short lists. Then a judging panel of Dave Martin with Fiona Ray (teacher at Dorchester Middle School)
and six Year 5 and 6 pupils from Dorchester Middle School met on Saturday 14^th June in the Dorset  County Museum to read, enjoy and discuss the short listed stories. By the end of the morning we had our winners.

 

Winners

Year 5 & 6 Best Story Joan Blyth Memorial Prize 2014

‘The Great Escape' by Isaac, Year 6, Akiva School.

‘Love Me to Death' by Erin, Year 6, Finton House.

Year 7, 8 & 9 Write Your Own Historical Story Competition

‘Clontarf' by Finnegan, Year 8, International School of Geneva.

‘Brothers in Arms' by Philippe, Year 8, International School of Geneva.

‘Brutality' by Harry, Year 9, The Thomas Hardye  School.

‘Perfection' by Fiona, Year 9, Davison High School for Girls.

‘The Mousetrap' by Lily, Year 7, The Godolphin & Latymer School.

‘Blush Over London' by Lucinda, Year 9, Ibstock  Place School.

 

Short listed

Year 5 & 6 Best Story Joan Blyth Memorial Prize 2014

‘Silence' by Jessica, Year 6, St Mary's and St Peter's C of E Primary School.

‘The Amundsen Adventure' by Oliver, Year 6, St Mary's and St Peter's C of E Primary School.

‘An Unlikely Friend' by Olivia, Year 5, Bury Grammar School Girls (Junior).

 

Year 7, 8 & 9 Write Your Own Historical Story Competition

‘More Weight', by India, Year 8, Lawnswood School.

‘May Emmett' by Zoe, Year 9, New College Worcester.

‘To God and to the Brightest Gold' by Miriam, Year 8, Moulton School
and Science College.

‘The Lost Pirate' by Eloise, Year 9, The Romsey School.

‘Starry Night Skies and Blazing Sunsets' by Virginia, Year 8, Brigidine School.

The eight winning entries will each receive an engraved Bath Aqua Glass paperweight and £25 prize plus a Winner certificate. Their teachers/schools receive a free year's membership of the Historical Association. All short-listed entries will receive a Short Listed certificate. These will all posted out in the next two weeks.