11-year-old writer from Hemel Hempstead wins prize in national short story competition

A talented young Hemel Hempstead writer has beaten thousands of others to take second prize in a national short story competition.

Amelia Upton-Hansen, 11, a pupil at Westbrook Hay Prep School, came second in the 10 to 11-year-old category of The Young Author Award – winning an overnight stay at London Zoo, £1,000 for her school and a pile of novels.

The theme for the contest was ‘A Day that Changed the World’, and Amelia’s tale explored humanity’s impact on the world’s oceans.

She said: "I'm still surprised that I got 2nd place! This means the world to me because in my opinion we should be doing everything we can to save our planet and I think this is the perfect prize for me because my story is about extraordinary creatures and the London Zoo is filled with them.

"It also proves that if you work hard, you can achieve anything. I didn't get it right on the first try, nor the second, in fact, I wrote and rewrote it many times until it had a unique feel to it.”

The judges said: “Amelie's story showed her thoughtful, creative exploration of one of the world’s most pressing issues: the destruction of ocean habitats. She demonstrated a keen interest in solving this problem by highlighting the role humans have played in polluting ocean habitats - and ended her story with a boy who finds himself inspired to make a change. These themes were brought to life by their well-crafted, vivid prose and strong characterisation.

"We’re very excited to see what the future holds for this young wordsmith!”