Voss wins first Searchlight bedtime story competition

Abby Voss has won the inaugural Searchlight Awards Best Children’s Bedtime Story Competition with her picture book text "The Witch Who Couldn’t Spell". 

The international competition, which was launched in May 2021 by Kim Donovan, a graduate of Bath Spa University’s MA in writing for young people, seeks to champion and publish new children's authors. 

This year's winning story is about a young witch with dyslexia who overcomes her problems with reading to become the best in her class at casting spells. It is inspired by Voss’ son, who found reading a challenge throughout middle school.

Voss, who is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, beat hundreds of other entrants from 22 different countries to win the competition, which was judged by Finbar Hawkins, writer and creative director at Aardman Animations.

Commenting on the winning manuscript, Hawkings said: "This story edged it for me. It has a good structure, was well crafted and tightly told. It has a character children will root for, and it dealt with the theme of dyslexia in a humorous and understanding fashion—it made dyslexia a super power, which I thought was very clever."

Hawkins chose 10 stories for the shortlist, which will feature in an e-book titled The Winners’ Collection and sent to 18 literary agents, as well as publishers who have requested it. "Each [shortlisted story] demonstrates an imaginative and unique approach to the bedtime story," he added. The shortlisted writers also have the option of being published in an annual anthology. 

Searchlight’s second competition, Best Novel Opening for Children or Young Adults, is in progress and the Best Short Story opens for submissions in January 2022.