The English Department is delighted to announce that Lydia in Year 9 has won the prestigious GDST Creative Writing Prize in her age category.
This year’s theme was Intelligence. The entries were judged by Dr Victoria MacKenzie, an alumna of Brighton Girls’ and a writer of fiction, poetry, and essays. Her debut novel, For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain (Bloomsbury, 2023), won the Saltire First Book Award and was adapted for Radio 4.
“Lydia has written a really well-structured and engaging story about friendship and getting scammed. One of the things I most admired was that it allowed the reader to work out what was happening before the character did, creating a wonderful sense of dramatic irony which made the unfolding events completely gripping. It was also really moving, and the writer created a lot of empathy for the main character. A very sophisticated story.”Dr MacKenzie
Here is an excerpt from Lydia’s winning entry:
‘I only got picked on once for my shoes. They are still broken but I can’t afford another pair; I gave the rest of my money to Leo. We’ve always struggled with money but it seems to be so much worse for Leo. He’s been so kind to me and it’s only a few pounds here and there. I like that I can help him for all the times he’s been there for me. Finally, I arrive at the front door to my house. I can see the red paint peeling away at it. Dad said he would paint over it, but I know he’s been too busy with the divorce papers and his new girlfriend to remember. He doesn’t remember anything anymore.’
Congratulations once again to Lydia – we can’t wait to see what she will write next!