News / 25 Nov 2024
Creative Writing student’s story to be performed on podcast
BA (Hons) Creative Writing
First year BA (Hons) Creative Writing student Ellen McKean is off to a great start, winning a short story competition hosted by Northern Broadsides and Arvon.
The competition invited writers from across the North of England to submit a winter’s tale between 2,000 – 3,000 words. There was no restriction on the theme or style, but writers were asked to create a story they would love to listen to on a cold wintery day sat in front of a fire.
Ellen’s story, City Winter, is about a man who captures a snowflake in a city where snowflakes are extinct. It becomes his obsession to preserve it but news of its existence gets out and the snowflake attracts a growing crowd and the situation begins to spiral out of control. The main character ultimately decides to leave the city and travel into the countryside where he can release the snowflake back into its natural habitat.
“The idea for the story came to me fairly quickly and naturally. I wanted something slightly untraditional and reflective of the winter I was living in Leeds. I have grown up in the country and am entirely unused to city living. The winter so far has felt extremely different to what I’m used to and so I based the story around the difference between the urban and rural experience.”
Ellen McKeag, BA (Hons) Creative Writing student
Submissions were judged blindly by a reading panel, with final decisions made by Northern Broadsides Artistic Director Laurie Sansom and Arvon Co-Director Helen Meller.
Ellen's story won first place and she received a cash prize of £750. Written versions of her winning story and the two runners up will be posted on the Northern Broadsides and Arvon websites from 18 December 2024 – 6 January 2025.
Ellen’s story will also be recorded by Northern Broadsides, read by a professional actor, and available across podcast platforms from the 18 December.
“I was extremely surprised to win but thrilled all the same. I am very much looking forward to hearing my story professionally recorded. I think, perhaps, I’m more excited about the recording than the £750 prize.”
Ellen McKeag, BA (Hons) Creative Writing student