Congratulations to Alice in Year 11 who has won the GDST Creative Writing prize in her age category. 

This year, the theme for the GDST Creative Writing prize was ‘Belonging’ and the entries were judged by Rachel Hore, an alumna of Sutton High School.

Rachel commented, “Alice’s entry is a tragic story about migrants and is told from an unusual and very moving perspective. It’s well-constructed, well-observed and demonstrates a maturity of approach to its subject.  A big thank you to all entrants – you gave me a great deal of pleasure through your writing and keep at it! Many congratulations to the winners of each group and those that I’ve highly commended.”

“Inspiration for ‘Amir Hassan’s Report Card’ came from a true story, along with the many tragic accounts of immigrants coming to the UK for a better life. Being a subject that has always left me feeling deeply for those making these difficult journeys, I felt that the theme of belonging tied in well with the idea of identity from one’s own country. I thought it was a great opportunity to write about such an important topic, and winning the competition has made me feel hopeful for my writing, something that I enjoy doing very much.”

Alice, winner of GDST Creative Writing Competition (Year 10 & 11 age group)

 

Alice, pictured below with English teacher, Mr Alex Waller, who supervised the writing process, will receive a Waterstones Gift Card for £100.

 

Congratulations also to Sixth Form pupil Ishaabhya who was runner up in the Year 12 and 13 category with her entry ‘Get Out’. Competition judge Rachel Hore commented, “Ishaabhya’s entry was a vivid story about an unexpected clash of cultures on a Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition. I particularly liked the build up of tension and the disturbing ending.”

 

“With everything going on and the sheer number of things in the news, I think it’s really easy to get stuck in where we are right now. Sometimes, it’s nice to slip away to somewhere else, since it can really put our situation in perspective. I’m really happy about the commendation: it suggests that someone had as much fun reading my piece as I did writing it!” 


Ishaabhya, runner-up of GDST Creative Writing Competition (Year 12 & 13 age group)

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Read Alice’s winning entry below entitled ‘Amir Hassan’s report card’

This is why mum says I have to continue to go to school in England. Mum says that the whole point for me going away is that in England, there are really good schools. And these schools will tell me how to be a really good doctor. Then, when I’m a good enough doctor, I’m going to go back to Iraq. Iraq is where I belong. When I go back to where I belong, I will make finally make my country proud.
To prove that I am a clever boy, you can look at the attached paper. Now, you will have to send me to school to be a doctor, and then, when I am even more clever than I am now, I can go back home.
Amir Hassan, belonging to my father Mustafa Hassan.

Paula closed the letter. She opened the other sheet of paper. It was a report card. Amir had gotten all As in all of his subjects. They were lined up on the sheet, each one handwritten proudly, almost as if they were waiting to be examined. He had not lied when he said he was a clever child. He would have been a very good doctor.
Paula picked up her pen and a wrote the boy’s full name on the information sheet. She hoped that he’d be returned to his parents in Iraq. She hoped he’d go back to where he belonged.
5:40 pm – Dr Paula Lowry shut up the morgue. She would drive home, cook dinner for her family, watch TV with her husband and read her children the bedtime stories that lulled them into a gentle sleep. Unlike Amir Hassan, they would wake up in the morning.
As she turned another corner, a tear made its way down Paula’s cheek.
The country where a person happened to be born in should not be a death sentence.

But for the little boy with the report card, and the other 59 people on board, it was.

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