Students from Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) have been invited back for a second year to support with the nationwide creative writing competition for schools, Time to Write.
The competition, which launched on Thursday 5 December 2024, is organised by the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) and, the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), and is open to all schools, with four different categories for pupils aged between seven and 16.
This year, the writers have been asked to produce stories based on the prompt ‘Light’.
The competition will be judged in two parts; the shortlisting round will be completed using cutting-edge Adaptive Comparative Judgement via the RM Compare platform. This platform allows a pool of judges, including students from AUB’s BA (Hons) Creative Writing course, to take part in the shortlisting process, ensuring a fair, transparent and reliable outcome.
The top 10 in each category will be reviewed by a panel of judges in person, at the historic P & G Wells book bindery in Winchester. P & G Wells is believed to be Britain’s oldest bookshop, with records dating back to 1729. The judging panel, including children’s authors and editors, senior university lecturers and English teachers, will review the top 10 in each category and decide first place and the two runners-up.
The winning pupils in each category will see themselves in print, as their stories will be turned into illustrated books by third-year BA (Hons) Illustration students from AUB. The University will invite students to prepare and submit portfolios for consideration and will work with ISEB and IAPS to find the most suitable illustrators for each individual story.
“We’re delighted to be invited back for a second year," says Vincent Larkin, Course Leader on BA (Hons) Illustration at AUB. "The students who illustrated last year’s winning stories, thoroughly enjoyed bringing these wonderful stories to life for the children that made them. Illustrating stories really does add that magical touch.”
Time to Write made its debut in early 2024 and saw more than 2000 young writers from 180 schools in 13 countries submit stories based on a time travel prompt. The four winning writers in each category saw their stories come to life as illustrated picture books, and writers and their schools were also awarded a range of other tech and literary prizes.
AUB student Marshall Steptoe, who illustrated 1904, The Sole Survivor by Elaine Liu in 2024’s competition, comments, “I was really excited when ISEB approached me about the opportunity. The brief was something that interested me and it gave me a chance to delve back into narrative-based work which I hadn’t explored in a while.
“I was given great creative freedom to create the characters how I saw them and build the environments described throughout the story. Whilst I didn’t meet the author, I could tell through their gripping writing that they have a love for adventure and character development. The story offers a great twist, and it was exciting to be able to bring this to life.
“I started with designing characters straight away. Originally, I had depicted the main character as female, with longer hair and a more quirky and curious look about her. Collaborating on ideas with the team, we decided to create a more androgynous-looking character, which I think lends well to the reader being able to see themselves in the story.
“I always find backgrounds a challenge, but the mine setting stretched my abilities in a way I never would do on my own so I’m really glad I had the opportunity to create depth and display the dynamic danger within the story. Overall, the process from start to finish was a blast and I’m so glad I could do this story justice, and I’m looking forward to creating more like this in the future.”
Winners from the 2024 Time to Write competition have now received their illustrated books.
Sakina, aged 9 at the time of entry, said, “When I found out about this competition I knew that I would love to participate… I am so grateful to have won – this is a dream come true.” Meanwhile, Elaine, aged 12 at the time of entry, said: “Many things have inspired me to enter this competition but my greatest inspiration is my passion for reading. I’d read a lot of books leading up to the competition but I’d never written a short story before.”
Entry for Time to Write is open now and will close on 2 February 2025. To enter and to find out more information, visit the ISEB website.
