Winners announced for the Wicked Writers: Be the Change competition

The winners of the annual national writing competition Wicked Writers: Be the Change competition have been announced.

The competition is a collaboration between the National Literacy Trust and smash-hit West End musical Wicked, as part of its Wicked Active Learning cultural and social education programme.

Open to young writers in the UK, this year’s theme was the environment, and 1600 children across the UK have made their voices heard about the issues they are passionate about, including climate change, earth and sea pollution, and animal extinction

The winner in the 9-11 age group is Sebastian Kesley, 10, from Hiltingbury Junior School in Hampshire who wrote a thoughtful first-person story about the impact of plastic in the ocean on marine life from the perspective of the ocean itself.

Arthur Stock, 10, from Stanford Junior School in Brighton is the runner-up in this category and wrote a moving and informative piece about a lonely turtle caught in a plastic bag, with tips at the end for how people can help to reduce plastic pollution.

The winner in the 11-14 age group is Luo Chen He, 13, from Co-op Academy in Stoke-on-Trent who impressed the judges with a creative tale about the importance of activism and the struggle to change the world.

Samsritha Vakani, 14, from West Bromwich Collegiate, 14, is the runner-up in the older age category with a poem about planet Earth’s two potential futures – one positive and bright, and one destroyed without intervention.

The competition was announced yesterday, 22 April 2024, on Earth Day, the annual event to demonstrate support for environmental protection.

Judges for the competition included award-winning children’s author, M. G. Leonard; English teacher, writer, and presenter of Holly’s Classroom, Holly King-Mand; Executive Producer of Wicked, Michael McCabe; and Chief Executive at the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas.

Winners, runners-up, and shortlisted pupils will be published in the Wicked Writers Anthology, which is now available to buy.

You can also read 2024’s winning and runner-up entries.

Michael McCabe, judge and Executive Producer of Wicked said: “We are particularly proud to announce the winners and runners up of the Wicked Writers: Be The Change competition on Earth Day 2024. These outstanding pieces of persuasive writing demonstrate how environmentally conscious young people are, and how strongly they advocate for urgent climate action.”

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