Edinburgh writer wins national competition
The annual competition runs in conjunction with the prestigious Branford Boase Award which recognises a debut children's author and their editor. It was set up in memory of the outstanding children's writer Henrietta Branford and the gifted editor, Wendy Boase, Editorial Director of Walker Books. The competition aims to find and encourage writers of the future, something Henrietta Branford was always keen to do.
The award is open to anyone under the age of 19 and every year organisers say there are sackfuls of entries from all over the country. This year, inspired by last year's winner, author Nathanael Lessore (Steady For This, King Of Nothing, What Happens Online) entrants were asked to write a story that would make the judges laugh.
Called An Unexpected Fashion Statement Charlotte's story follows an unknown fashion model who suddenly finds herself pushed on to the catwalk to cover for a missing colleague. The poor girl is, in turn, bewildered, embarrassed and humiliated but eventually she escapes and runs through the streets to hide in her apartment. Could it be that the whole incident was a clever publicity stunt?
Competition judge Prue Goodwin said: 'This is a great concept and very well written! Charlotte shows real assurance in the writing, and we loved the laughter-in-spite-of-cringing element to the story.'
Nathanael Lessore was also hugely impressed by the winning stories. He said: 'Writing funny stories is not easy, but Charlotte came up with a brilliant idea and her passion for storytelling leaps off the page too. Congratulations, Charlotte!'
Charlotte's story is available to read on the Branford Boase Award website here. She also won a set of the six books on the shortlist for the 2025 Branford Boase Award signed by their authors.
Like this:
Like
Related
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Charlotte Crosby shows off her amazing figure as she models an array of stylish bikinis during sun-soaked family holiday in Spain
Charlotte Crosby showed off her incredible figure in an array of stylish bikinis as she posed for a new sizzling Instagram video in Spain on Tuesday. The TV personality, 35, looked amazing as she modelled an eye catching yellow two-piece during the sun-soaked family holiday. Charlotte kept cool by styling her long dark tresses in a high bun as she posed for a mirror selfie in the £32 swimwear from Cupshe. She later slipped into a trendy white bikini, which boasted high rise bottoms and a halter neckline, as she through her arms into the arm. The mother-of-two looked in good spirits as she beamed for the camera before her two-year-old daughter Alba chased her off screen. Charlotte, who is also mum to six-month-old daughter Pixi, later changed into a red bikini which featured gold detailing. For her final swimwear look, the reality star displayed her curves in a one shoulder blue and white gingham one-piece. She wrote: 'Life's better in a bikini ☀️ if you missed my stories check them out NOW!' It comes after Charlotte claimed she feels like she's 'on the verge of a nervous breakdown every day' due to her jam-packed schedule. The former Geordie Shore star balances life as an influencer with filming a reality show and managing her businesses, as well as being a mum to her two young daughters. And in an interview with new! magazine, Charlotte bemoaned how tough she finds it juggling motherhood with her numerous jobs, remarking that she doesn't believe there's many people who could 'deal' with what she does. Speaking candidly to the publication, she said: 'It feels like I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown every day. 'I've got two kids, I'm filming a TV show for Paramount Plus a reality show about my life, and I'm bringing out this book. I've got three businesses.' The star went on to suggest that not a lot of people could cope with the stress of the amount of work like she does, adding: 'It's not for the faint of heart. I think only a small percentage of people could deal with this.' But while she struggles to keep all the plates spinning in her hugely hectic life, Charlotte told how her girls bring her much joy amid all the stress. The reality star shares her two daughters Alba and /pixi with her fiancé Jake Ankers. She noted how her girls are 'angels' and when they're around, she doesn't have moments where she feels 'angry' and instead is left in 'fits of laughter', especially with her eldest. Earlier this year, Charlotte broke down in tears on Instagram as she candidly opened up about struggling with health problems and juggling two children. Charlotte couldn't hold back her tears as she told her 8.7million followers that 'not everything is always perfect'. She revealed that she has been having back problems and has been struggling to hear out of her ear as she headed to a number of medical appointments. Her day wasn't so smooth sailing as her baby girl had 'thrown up all over herself' making her late as she headed back inside her home to clean her up. Charlotte said: 'Oh god, I'm just having a little cry and I just thought I'd come on here to show ya that not everything is always perfect. 'This is so stupid, I've got a back appointment that I was going to try and make because it is killing and I have loads of appointments to go to so my back and then my ear because I feel like I can't hear properly. 'Then I've got to go to work all day and honestly I was bossing it about to leave and then I literally was making good time and was going to be on time for once and then I looked into the car seat and Pixi had thrown up all over herself. 'It's all in her hair still so I ran back in quickly to do a change and Alba is still sitting in the car waiting for us. It's meant to Alba's day off today but I'm just dragging her around with me and I just broke into tears.' Charlotte revealed she thinks she was crying due to 'stress' and that she has been trying to 'do her best' looking after her daughters while business owner Jake is away working.
Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I transformed my kitchen for £82 – people ask ‘HOW' but a cheap B&M buy made all the difference
HOME RENO I transformed my kitchen for £82 – people ask 'HOW' but a cheap B&M buy made all the difference A DIY-savvy woman has revealed how she completely transformed her tired-looking kitchen on a shoestring budget. Charlotte Watson took to TikTok to share her budget makeover, showing off her seriously chic new kitchen, all thanks to some bargain finds and a bit of elbow grease. Advertisement 2 A TikToker shared her stunning kitchen transformation Credit: TikTok/ @Charlottecwatsonn 2 The entire renovation only set them back £82 Credit: TikTok/ @Charlottecwatsonn People were shocked to discover just how cheap it was but Charlotte simply pointed to her budget B&M buy that completely transformed the space. In her video, Charlotte explains that the kitchen 'definitely needed a little bit of love', so she rolled up her sleeves and got stuck in, determined to give it a new lease of life without breaking the bank. Kicking things off with a thorough clean, she scrubbed down every cupboard door and surface, making sure to get into all the gaps before sanding everything. She then grabbed a pot of cover paint from B&Q and started coating the cupboards. Advertisement In a relatable DIY slip-up, Charlotte forgot to remove the handles before painting, which meant having to start again. As the transformation got underway, she confessed it didn't look great at first, calling it a real 'trust the process' project. But after a few more coats of paint- four in total - the space started to come together beautifully. The finishing touch was a game-changing stick-on laminate from B&M that only set her back £21. Advertisement She said: "It's the stick on DC fix! It's like a laminate worktop in a roll, super cheap from B&M". She used it to cover the old worktops, instantly giving the kitchen a sleek, modern feel. The final result is seriously impressive. The once-drab kitchen now looks stylish and fresh and all for less than the cost of a weekly shop. Tradesmen quoted me £2.5K to wrap my kitchen cupboards so I did it myself for £62 instead and it looks so good Charlotte says she got all her other supplies from B&Q and spent just £82 all in, proving that budget retailers can be a goldmine for cheap and cheerful upgrades. Advertisement Viewers couldn't believe the transformation, flooding the comments with praise. 'Wait the cupboards are painted?! Wow they look stunning,' one person wrote. Another added: 'Okay you've convinced me.' Others simply called it 'stunning' and said it looked 'so much nicer'. Advertisement Charlotte's makeover is proof that you don't need a massive budget to create a big impact, just a bit of time, patience and a good nose for a bargain.
Edinburgh Reporter
a day ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Edinburgh writer wins national competition
A young Edinburgh writer, 12-year-old Charlotte Hennessey, has won first prize in a national writing competition for young people, the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition. The annual competition runs in conjunction with the prestigious Branford Boase Award which recognises a debut children's author and their editor. It was set up in memory of the outstanding children's writer Henrietta Branford and the gifted editor, Wendy Boase, Editorial Director of Walker Books. The competition aims to find and encourage writers of the future, something Henrietta Branford was always keen to do. The award is open to anyone under the age of 19 and every year organisers say there are sackfuls of entries from all over the country. This year, inspired by last year's winner, author Nathanael Lessore (Steady For This, King Of Nothing, What Happens Online) entrants were asked to write a story that would make the judges laugh. Called An Unexpected Fashion Statement Charlotte's story follows an unknown fashion model who suddenly finds herself pushed on to the catwalk to cover for a missing colleague. The poor girl is, in turn, bewildered, embarrassed and humiliated but eventually she escapes and runs through the streets to hide in her apartment. Could it be that the whole incident was a clever publicity stunt? Competition judge Prue Goodwin said: 'This is a great concept and very well written! Charlotte shows real assurance in the writing, and we loved the laughter-in-spite-of-cringing element to the story.' Nathanael Lessore was also hugely impressed by the winning stories. He said: 'Writing funny stories is not easy, but Charlotte came up with a brilliant idea and her passion for storytelling leaps off the page too. Congratulations, Charlotte!' Charlotte's story is available to read on the Branford Boase Award website here. She also won a set of the six books on the shortlist for the 2025 Branford Boase Award signed by their authors. Like this: Like Related
