Wolverhampton Literature Festival: Young Authors competition winners

All primary and secondary schools in the city were invited to take part in the Young Authors competition run by The Imaginarium, with almost 200 entries from 13 different schools.

The theme was simply ‘travel’ and could be interpreted by the children however they liked.

The entries covered all topics ranging from Second World War evacuees and modern-day migration stories, to time-travel and the abstract idea of words travelling through the brain.

The top four winning stories, picked by a judging panel including Express & Star deputy editor Diane Davies, were adapted into stage performances during the Wolverhampton Literature Festival by City of Wolverhampton Performing Arts students, guided by their lecturers Ruth Gavin-Walker and Tanya Long.

See the stories below:

The Letter E

By Poppy Edwards, St. Jude’s Primary Academy

Hi! I am the most boring letter in the English language. I’m also the most used. I am the letter E.

I live in the brain of a young girl named Alice. Alice reads more than most children, so she uses me a lot.

Every time Alice wants to use me, I have to travel through her brain. Travelling through a brain takes a long time for us letters, but apparently it only feels like a second for children like Alice.

As I am the most used letter, the others bully me. I HATE being the letter E! I HATE being used in words I don’t even understand, like ebullient. But worst of all, I HATE having to be a vowel. We get used so much. It’s exhausting. The other vowels are: A, I, O and U and we all get on pretty well. Sometimes Y decides to be nice to us, but we all know it’s not genuine because you can guarantee that by the time we’re at school, Y joins in with X and Z in calling me a commoner. I’ve had enough.

I’m going to run away. To do it I’ll have to travel through Alice’s brain and sneak into a word I don’t belong in. My plan is to attach myself onto the back of ‘and’. Right now, Alice is reading aloud to her teacher, and is about to say it...Now’s my opportunity to go. I can see it! The ‘Big Slobbery Monster’ that likes to push us out. They call it the tongue, but I think that ‘The Big Slobbery Monster’ is a more suitable name. ‘A’ told me once that if you get into a word you don’t belong in, you can jump into the book and then sneak between the lines and escape. But ‘A’ is too much of a coward to do it.

Currently, I’m travelling through a big tube in the brain that attaches all the letters Alice needs to make a word.

This might take a minute…

Now that I’m through that tube, I have to go through ‘The Big Slobbery Monster’ that likes to push us out.

I’m finally out, and trying to jump into the book. I need to be brave but that’s hard without ‘B’ ‘R’ ‘A’ and ‘V’. Once I’m in, I’ll sneak through the lines. So far my plan is working well. On my way through the book, I have met Exclamation Mark and Comma! They are so much better than my old friends! But, Exclamation Mark just told me that all of the other letters have noticed I am gone and want me back. He told me, with great exclamation,

“They can’t do anything without you! They can’t speak! They can’t read! But worst of all...They can’t travel without you...Without E!”

He’s right. They can’t travel through the tubes in the brain, or get pushed out through the Big Slobbery Monster. Not without me. That means that Alice needs me. Without me, Alice can’t say her words properly. She can’t read her precious books. So, I am going back.

Hi! I am the most important letter in the English language. I am the letter E.

My Journey

By Abigail Sutton, Oak Meadow Primary School

Dear Diary,

It’s me again, well, who else would it be? Once again, loneliness has consumed me. Today has been the worst - it makes the restrictions seem fine. There I was at school with Ezmay and an hour had passed from break, the next thing I knew… We had all been separated. A clear divide had consumed the classroom. Devastated, it was time to come home; mom turned the wireless on and there he was again. Quietly, as I sat by the window I saw the neighbour’s shop had been destroyed. There he was again.

All became silent apart from Mom and Dad – who were whispering discreetly down the phone – they had been doing that a lot recently. My heart raced like a tiger as she spoke “Now, I’ve decided to send you some where safe.” I trembled as she began again, “You are going to be transported through the ‘Kinder transport’.” At this stage, I was lost for words. Within seconds, I was able to recap the minor details: I was to live there, and abandon my parents.

Intimidated and anxious, I ran up the stairs and cried.

My suitcase was already packed. We spent many hours together, and then the time had come. Saying goodbye was the hardest thing to do, before I stepped out of the house. An indescribable scene was left, like dust; it covered the area extremely quickly. Seconds later, I was there, as my parents embraced me tenderly, I stepped onto the train (after our goodbyes). I powered on, with a light suitcase and a heavy heart, safety was in reach.

Lying beyond my eyes was a red, rusty train much larger than I was. Like sardines in a tin, we pushed each other to the edge of the train.

Over a thousand of us on the same experience, on the same train, on the same journey. Uncertain of the people I was yet to meet, I dragged my heels along the vehicle towards a chair. My heart said to stay but I knew my parents wanted me to do it for my own good.

Although I looked where I was going, somehow I found myself bumping into almost everyone in sight. Luckily, I found a dainty pie in my satchel - this was all I had to keep me going for the tiring journey ahead. Cramped, squashed we only had a few minutes to go… We arrived.

Intimidating seas of faces flooded our destination. I searched for my mom, hoping only hoping she or dad was waiting for my arrival. I yearned to see them but I could not, it was as if I was stuck. A solemn faced man dragged me to my new parents. Were these people going to provide for my future?

The only thing left to do was to pray, pray to see my real mom and dad again. This may be the last time I ever write, the last time I was ever going to say goodbye to my parents.

Goodbye, wish me luck.

Amy

The Long Journey

By Charlotte Crowther, Smestow School

Our story starts off in 1939, not long before World War 2. A young woman and her three children are gathered around the kitchen table eating breakfast. Just then the radio suddenly switched to a man speaking

“Attention! Attention! All listen up please. This report has recently come in from the British Army officers. Germany has declared war on Britain. We need anyone available to help. Please start saving to buy a bomb shelter. Thank you.”

The whole house fell silent. What are they going to do?

A thousand thoughts were running through Kate’s (the mother) mind. What was she going to do? Would her husband have to leave? What about the children?

Later that night her husband came back from work. "Did you hear the news?” Kate asked. “Yes” replied her husband, Peter. “So, are you going to join?” Kate enquired, “I have to, don’t I?” replied Peter.

Kate and Peter cherished those last few weeks as a family because they knew too well that Sophie, James and Lily would be evacuated. They would go on a picnic and trips out all together, but their happiness could not go on any longer. Then the dreaded day came. Peter’s suitcase was already packed and they all had to say their goodbyes. All that was left for him to do now was leave. They watched him climb onto the trolley bus at the end of the road, no-one wanted to put the children through the ordeal of going to the Station. Kate didn’t know when he would come back, or if he would come back at all.

Kate couldn’t imagine being away from her beloved children but she knew it was for their own safety and she had to be brave and do it. She held dear that one last week and whilst she packed their bags she thought of how different her life would be from now on. She wouldn’t have to wake the kids up or make them meals.

Now, that might sound nice to you but it wasn’t for Kate.

When it finally came to dropping off her children, Kate wouldn’t let them see her cry. Sophie was the one who cried the most as she was the youngest. The children all boarded the train and sat down in a compartment.

Finally, the train started to pull away with a cloud of smoke and chugged along the tracks. All the children were leaning out of their windows bidding goodbye. At last they were on the rails and the three children listened to the clickety clack of the wheels. It was a long way from London to Cornwall. The children all hoped and prayed that they would be able to stay together.

Meanwhile, Peter was marching into France after setting sail across the Channel which turned into a choppy encounter. His troupe was setting up when suddenly they heard a gunshot. They grabbed their guns and prepared to charge towards the enemy. The long journey had just begun...

The Boy in the Sack!

By Sanchia Ellis, St Matthias School

It was a cold Halloween night, as Steven’s mom was driving home; she remembered she had to get him a mask for trick or treating. She came out of the shop disappointed, as there were no more masks. An old, pale, thin, lady suddenly appeared out of nowhere, she said in a crackly tone “Take this mask, please take it!” forcing it in her hands.

Steven’s mom had a good look at it and before she could turn around and say thank you, wired-looking woman had vanished. She was grateful she had a mask, but she though it looked rather unusual.

Steven adored the sackcloth mask. He knew it was unique and that none of his friends would have it. It had the face of a depressed clown, crying tears of blood.

Whilst trick of treating, they passed the grave yard; Steven felt his whole body shudder when he saw an old lady waving to him, from behind a grave stone. Mom recognised her and waved back.

Later, they arrived home with a bag full of sweets; however, Steven was unable to take the mask off. It was still stuck in the morning, so mom to the hospital. They said not to worry, it looked like glue, and that it would come off after a few days.

Over the next few days, Steven’s behaviour began to change, the mask was still stuck and he became, spiteful, selfish, and almost evil. His younger sister wouldn’t go near and was petrified. Mom got more worried and suggested that they went back to the hospital. “NO I WILL NOT GO BACK, YOU’LL BE SORRY!” he screamed, and he locked himself in his room. When he looked in the mirror, he was shocked to see stitches with blood at the edge of the mask. It was becoming part of his real skin... Steven had to get away, so he travelled at night, passing alleyways and hiding in holes, waiting for people to go past . Inside, he felt he had a good spirit and a bad spirit fighting each other. He would traumatise others, by screaming so loud, it almost killed them.

He travelled somewhere new every night to hide. As the days passed, he understood more. The demon inside was an old lady, who liked to walk at night. Other people called her crazy, which made her angry. She died when she was hit by a car on Halloween. Steven felt sad and began to cry tears of blood.

He felt calm, as if he had deflected the bad spirit. He felt the mask loosening and tore it off over his head and ran the long distance home, as fast as he could. Flinging himself into the arms of his mom, “I love you”. Relieved to be back, Steven gazed and appreciated the reflection of his normal face. He felt the cool breeze behind him.