The judges at Vintage Publishing were hugely impressed with the inventiveness and creativity of all entries, and after a long deliberation process we are excited to announce the overall winner and the runner up for 2015.
Congratulations to our winner Emily Blagrove of Skinners Academy for her dark, witty short story ‘Potato’! Well done also to Tala Martelli from Holland Park School for her funny, clever short story about a fish called King Lear. Both Emily and Tala will receive a pile of prize books from Vintage and will have their 100 word stories printed on First Story postcards. Their schools will also receive a library of Vintage Classics for all of their students to enjoy. In addition, the best entries from each school that entered the competition will also be printed on postcards and will each receive two prize books.
We are very grateful to Vintage for supporting the competition and providing the prizes.
Overall Winner
‘Potato’ by Emily Blagrove, Skinners Academy
“Today is Monday and today I am going to make my master proud! I am going to peel myself for him!” Potato announced as he held his fist up high. All the other vegetables ignored him and continued playing hop-scotch.
Potato sighed and rolled over to the kitchen drawer. Using the help of a fork, he carried the metal peeler to his deformed sphere body and held it high above his head.
“I’m going to do it!” he wailed which caught the vegetables attention. Furiously, Potato dragged the peeler down his skin. All the vegetables stared in shock. Ten minutes later, Potato lay there, panting heavily. He had succeeded.
Runner Up
‘Untitled’ by Tala Martelli, Holland Park School
I used to have a fish called King Lear, but he died. Fish are stupid. When I gave food to Lear, he always let it sink to the bottom before he tried to eat it. He was a mad fish!
After we buried Lear, we played the quotation game. Mummy says I’m really good. She calls me the Duke of Burgundy. I tell her that Burgundy is an idiot.
I said, “thou art a fiend, A woman’s shape doth shield thee.”
She laughed and said I could be Albany instead.
I said, “speak what we feel.”
She nodded, sagely.
First Story in the RSL Review