Children’s Author Helen Brian and Peahen Publishing Launch a Story Writing Competition With the Theme ‘Acts of kindness’.
Helen Brian, a charity worker and children’s author, has launched a story writing competition for primary school-aged children. The competition encourages children to write a story of up to 600 words about an act of kindness and illustrate it themselves. Helen decided in November 2020 to launch something to get children writing. She wanted to give young children the opportunity to write and explore their imaginations with no limits. The winning story will be published into a book and the winning author will get sent five copies of their published book so they have something to hold and be proud of. The winner will also get an online party for them and all of their friends, hosted by Super Pirates Bath. Their story will also be recorded in audiobook format by Steven Kynman, a.k.a the voice of Fireman Sam. Entries for the competition opened on World Book Day and will close on the 21st of May, so there’s of time to get writing!
Helen has worked for many years in the homelessness sector and was inspired to write a children’s story to explain that there are people behind the homeless and amazing things can happen if you’re kind. The book, titled Elvis, is about an elephant called Elvis who is living his best life as the best car mechanic in town. Then he suddenly loses his job and home when a small stranger steps in to help him. To get a copy of the book, it’s available on Amazon, bookshop.org and is available to order from any bookshop nationwide. All profits go to Julian House and St Mungos to raise money for the homeless.
Helen wants the children who apply to be as creative and far out as they want to be and to use this as an opportunity to really shine and be proud of themselves. If you think this is something your child will be interested in, all they have to do to sign up is write and illustrate their story and send it to elvis.competition@gmail.com. Make sure to include the child’s name and your contact details in the email and good luck!
Words by Lauren Forester