Flash fiction

Students from Winstanley College have had success in a prestigious creative writing competition, run by the University of Chester.

The national contest, known as Flash Fiction, challenges writers to pen a short story with a maximum of 360 words. Out of hundreds of entries, ten students from the College were highly commended for their efforts. The students, all aged between 16 and 18, were: Olivia Bridge, Ellen Darbyshire, Minenhle Dlodlo, Georgia O’Brien, Maria Malinowski, Beth Roberston, Laura Russell, Lucie Stanfield, Hollie Walls and Jade Wilkinson.

Impressively, the overall winner of the competition was also a Winstanley student – Elise Longden, who is 17 and lives in Rainford. She wrote a highly emotive piece called ‘Flotsam’ looking at the effects of trying to escape a war-torn country from the eyes of a news photographer.

Elise, who is studying for A-Levels in Creative Writing, Film Studies and Graphic Design, wins £100 of Waterstones vouchers and publication of her story in Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine.

English teacher, Fran Pridham, said: “We’ve some very talented writers at Winstanley College and have achieved success in the Flash Fiction competition for a number of years. This year has been incredible, with 10 students being highly commended and Elise winning first prize. I hope it will encourage them to go on writing and enter more competitions in the future. I’ve enjoyed reading all the stories and am proud of the effort and talent displayed.”Flash Fiction

Students from Winstanley College have had success in a prestigious creative writing competition, run by the University of Chester.

The national contest, known as Flash Fiction, challenges writers to pen a short story with a maximum of 360 words. Out of hundreds of entries, ten students from the College were highly commended for their efforts. The students, all aged between 16 and 18, were: Olivia Bridge, Ellen Darbyshire, Minenhle Dlodlo, Georgia O’Brien,  Maria Malinowski,  Beth Roberston, Laura Russell, Lucie Stanfield, Hollie Walls and Jade Wilkinson.

Impressively, the overall winner of the competition was also a Winstanley student – Elise Longden, who is 17 and lives in Rainford. She wrote a highly emotive piece called ‘Flotsam’ looking at the effects of trying to escape a war-torn country from the eyes of a news photographer.

Elise, who is studying for A-Levels in Creative Writing, Film Studies and Graphic Design, wins £100 of Waterstones vouchers and publication of her story in Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine.

English teacher, Fran Pridham, said: “We’ve some very talented writers at Winstanley College and have achieved success in the Flash Fiction competition for a number of years. This year has been incredible, with 10 students being highly commended and Elise winning first prize. I hope it will encourage them to go on writing and enter more competitions in the future. I’ve enjoyed reading all the stories and am proud of the effort and talent displayed.”