GLARE Story Competition 2019

Can you write a female villain? We all like a good baddie... and women can be as wicked as men!

Queen of Hearts pointing to her left

We have received lots of wonderful stories with very wicked female characters and we would like to thank all the aspiring authors who have taken part in the competition. It has been tough to choose the winning story. Luckily, we have been able to draw on the support of children’s books author Robin Stevens, who chose the final winners.

And the winners are …

In the category 6-8 years: ‘The Devil’s Daughter’ by Isabella Gabriel.

Robin’s verdict: “I loved the energy of this story, and I liked the narrative arc of Holly's turn to evil and then ultimate delivery from it by brave Angella at the end!”

In the category 9-12 years: ‘The Exam’ by Harry Forty.

Robin’s verdict: “I loved the difference between how Harriet appeared to the rest of the world and what was really inside her - she's a wonderful villain! And the twist at the end ... brilliant.”

In the category 13-15 years: ‘Grandma’s Misadventures Over the Phone’ by Iona Mandal.

Robin’s verdict: “I thought this had wonderful humour and a great sense of place - and I loved the idea of a rebellious and savvy grandma!”

The winning stories are published on the GLARE blog. Enjoy!

We would like to thank the Bournville BookFest, and especially its director Sarah Mullen, for supporting the competition and being part of the panel of judges.

Our special thanks go to the Blue Coat School for embracing the competition and submitting many wonderful entries as well as to Mrs. Holly Mollat and her class of fantastic writers from the Penketh School in Warrington. 

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