The winners of the 2021 Young Norfolk Writing Competition – Norfolk’s largest annual creative writing competition for young people aged 11-18 – have been announced alongside the identities of the fifth Young Norfolk Laureates.
The annual competition, which celebrates creative writing in all its forms, is a partnership between the National Centre for Writing (NCW) and Young Norfolk Arts (YNA). It received 348 entries in 2021 with nearly 200 students from 51 institutions in the region submitting their freshest, boldest work.
Hannah Garrard, Learning and Participation Programme Manager, NCW said:
‘Yet again the young people of Norfolk have shown the world how imaginative, thoughtful and creative they are by submitting an impressive array of ideas and forms to the YNWC. It has not been an easy year for any young person, with the disruptions to life they have encountered, so it’s even more satisfying to be able to reward the talent and commitment out there through the competition and laureate programme.’
Lucy Farrant, Director of YNA, said:
‘The Young Norfolk Writing Competition is one of the jewels in the crown of the Young Norfolk Arts Partnership. It not only celebrates the breadth and depth of writing talent in the County but is also a wonderful example of how we work with our key partners National Centre for Writing to support and develop that talent and to give it space to flourish. Thank you so much to everyone involved in this year's competition and to all the brilliant young writers out there.’
The winners of the Yong Norfolk Writing Competition 2021 (in alphabetical order) are:
· Callie Arlow, 16
· Florence Bullion , 15
· Oliver Campbell , 17
· Ay Griffiths, 15
· Christabelle Kirkham, 11
· Mimi Ronson, 16
A further 12 young writers received commendation from the judges.
The competition is supported by Norfolk County Council and Arts Council England and focuses on engaging young people to become more involved with the arts while celebrating the writing talent in the region. Entries can take the form of stories, lyrics, narrative for games, graphic stories, poems, spoken word, scripts, podcasts, plays, articles, journalism, or essays.
Robert Rickard, former 14 – 19 Advisor for NCC, said:
‘Nearly a decade after its creation, the Young Norfolk Writing Competition has grown into a county-wide annual celebration. That it is thriving, seems proof that such forms of cooperative activity really can work – even in politically fragmented times.
‘Emotional expression is what we most need as humans — and recent world events have reminded us of this. The young writers of the future deserve our every support.’
The 2021 Young Norfolk Laureateship has been awarded to two young people: Callie Arlow and Mimi Ronson. Over the next 12 months they will work as a collective, receiving creative and professional development opportunities from NCW and working towards an original collaboration to be performed next year.
Mimi Ronson said:
‘I’m beyond thrilled to be stepping into the role of Young Norfolk Laureate. In a world of great change and activism, words have never felt more important, and I hope I can learn to use them to create some truly special work!’
Callie Arlow said:
‘Getting chosen to be the next Young Norfolk Laureate is an incredible honour, and I can’t wait to discover how this opportunity enhances my ability and knowledge of writing.’
Last year’s three young laureates – Mathilda Armiger, Kasey Challenger and Ryan Taaffe-Fowle – showed a huge commitment to the programme. Mathilda was commissioned by NCW to write a poem, ‘Incantation for a Garden’, celebrating active citizenship, renewable energy and the positive spirit of young people across Norfolk and Suffolk, as part of a partnership with FCC environment.
Watch the Young Norfolk Writing Competition 2021 Showcase online
In celebration of the 2021 Young Norfolk Writing Competition and the breadth of young creative talent developing across the county, a special showcase event took place on Sunday night (11 July), hosted by Young Norfolk Arts Festival. It featured readings from the winning and highly commended writers, as well as a gallery of illustrations created by students at Norwich University of the Arts to complement the winning pieces.
The showcase will be posted on the Young Norfolk Arts YouTube channel this week for everyone to enjoy. Further details will be announced soon.
For further information on the Young Norfolk Writing Competition, visit nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ynwc/