Young Writers’ Award shortlist unveiled by BBC Radio One

Stories about the fragility of teenage mental health and the pain of losing a baby are among those on the shortlist of the 2018 Young Writers’ Award, run in association with literacy charity First Story and Cambridge University.

‘Under a Deep Blue Sky’ by Davina Bacon (17) is about the murder of a mother and baby elephant, inspired by the author’s early childhood in Africa, whilst ‘Footprints in the Field’ by Reyah Martin (18) explores the pain a child feels when their mother loses a baby.

Also on the shortlist are: ‘Unspoken’ by Lottie Mills (16), which explores teenage mental health through the eyes of a girl whose sister is crying out for help; ‘Firsts’ by Jane Mitchell (16), about a mother battling to escape the country of her birth to find a new life for her daughter; and ‘Oh Sister, Invisible’, about a girl whose sister has anorexia.

William Sutcliffe, author and one of the judges of this year’s awards, said:  “I always relish the chance to discuss writing closely with other writers and with engaged readers. The debate among the panel was intense, and at moments a little fiery, but we ended up with a shortlist we are all proud of. The stories we have chosen reflect the talent and skill of the entrants and are a testament to the imagination and talent of teenagers who care about fiction. I was immensely impressed by the range of the writing and by the large numbers of stories seriously contending for a place on the shortlist. Those that made the cut are all remarkable.”

The shortlisted writers will attend an awards ceremony at Cambridge University on 2nd October, when the winner will be announced live on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row. All five will receive a tour of the Virginia Woolf exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and will take part in a writing workshop with Sarah Crossan. Their stories will be published in the 2018 BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University anthology.  

The five shortlisted stories are available to read and listen to on the www.bbc.co.uk/ywa">BBC Radio One.