The winner of Wirral Met's story writing competition for National Storytelling Week has been announced.
During National Storytelling Week in February, the English department held a writing competition for all students across College. Students were asked to write an interesting story with the starter line of 'Once upon a time...'. Other criteria included it must be between 500-800 words, have a good plot and an exciting ending!
Entries were judged by the English department to be in with a chance of winning Love to Shop vouchers and their story published on the College website.
We can now reveal the top 3 winners are...
First Prize – Liam Carr: ‘My Name is Hope’
Second Prize – Ryan Cowie: ‘The Smiley Castle and the Prince’
Third Prize – Aeryn Reader: ‘Once Upon a Time’
Congratulations to all three finalists! Scroll down to read the winning story from Liam Carr.
My Name is Hope by Liam Carr
Once upon a time... in a country ruled by an evil dictator was a family that were struggling to meet ends meet called the Fullers. Within this family were Marc and Fiona, their son Aron and their daughter Hope.
Hope had inherited her father’s “strong as an ox” strength and her mother’s “lionhearted” heart and spirit; she always does her best to see the good and positive in things and would always try to live up to her given name to try and give the power of hope to everyone she knows and meets wherever she goes.
Elsewhere the villain of this story Prime Minister Donald Johnson and his evil party of right-wingers planned to suck every penny, every nook and cranny from those who live under his thumb to make himself more powerful and richer than anyone in the country. He thinks that he fooled everyone that his party won the election via the corrupt media and lies but there was one person who would never fall for his tricks.
As Hope was in her class working away her teacher Mrs Woods arrived with a face full of despair.
“Children.” She said. “I’m afraid by the laws of Prime Minister Johnson all schools across the country have had their taxes cut and will be shut down if we don’t pay the government the salary of £130,000.”
Being ten years old this may be a load of confusing grown up stuff, the way that Hope sees it but the more she listened the more she understood. She then raised her hand and responded with “What if there was a way to save not just our school but every other place or business that is under threat?”
That one question was the beginning of a revolution that would start small but would keep on growing by every second of every day.
The next day an angry mob lead by the little heroine of this tale made their mark from small town to small town, city to city until the masses of people from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would unite and meet in the capital. Although the forces of the law were on Johnson’s side, the masses would not back down against the classes, they know they have a right to fight for what is right and when one thing affects one person, it would affect everyone young and old.
In Johnson’s eyes, he cannot believe what he is seeing as when he sees young Hope marching towards the stronghold he sees the likes of Katness Everdeen, Joan of arc, Mahatma Gandhi and Emily Pankhurst standing beside her as the all ego tyrant’s confidence had dropped like the temperature in a room. Outside the cries from people chanting, “Tell the truth, resign and change your ways” grew louder and louder as Johnson’s face turned into a waterfall of sweat rushing from his forehead down to his chin.
“Citizens why continue this dutiful squabbling when I can give you all the money you can crave for to pay off your mortgages, feed yourselves and what not.” Said The Prime Minister who tried to act like the good guy but the people don’t want his money they want an apology and would keep fighting to get one the easy way and the hard way. Knowing he had no tricks up his sleeve, Johnson had no choice but to run as fast as his legs would carry him.
As the years went by the country went from the winter of despair to the spring of hope all thanks to a child with the same name. Hope and her family were honoured with the medal of bravery by the new Prime Minister Andrea Young that earned The Fuller family the nickname “The Hope-fullers.”
As The Fullers walked out of Downing Street, they were greeted with chants of Hope that was music to there ears and that fateful day will be remembered all thanks to a young girl called Hope whose name is the symbol of strength that the country needed. In times of ruin hope will always soar over those dark skies like a rainbow.
Moreover, what has happened to Donald Johnson you may ask? He is still on the run from the law like the criminal he truly is and it will not be long until he pays for the crimes that he and his party have committed.
And that was the day that Britain had finally became sane again.
This story is a work of fiction and does not represent the views of the college. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.