Belfast schoolgirl a prizewinner in short story competition
Congratulations to Kathryn–Anne Frazer from Willowfield Parish who was highly commended in the Church of Ireland’s World War One Short–Story Competition.
Kathryn–Anne’s story, ‘Recall’ won her a prize of €200 and the following citation from the judging panel, chaired by renowned author Glenn Patterson:
‘The judges enjoyed the author’s interplay between diary entries and specific events during and after the War creating a poignant and well–conceived piece of writing.’
The young author is just 16 and studying for her ‘A’ levels at Methodist College Belfast. We asked Kathryn what inspired her to enter the competition and what gets her writing!
‘I have always taken an interest in both World Wars, and have read a lot of material either based on these periods or real experiences from it. I loved the challenge of putting myself in that time period, trying to grasp what emotions people would have felt. How these differed between the women on the home front, and the men on the front line, and of how they would react and change according to their personal experiences.
‘I enjoy picturing stories in my head, but I often don’t have time to put them on paper! I love writing random lines I think would be good for something in the future, and I have written quite a few songs and poems. Often I use writing or art of any kind to express myself or vent my feelings.
‘I think writing, or expressing yourself in any shape, can be a very good tool to get something out of your system. Often writing transports you into a different life, meaning you can forget your personal worries and struggles and focus on someone else’s! This can be a great stress reliever.’
Any future literary aspirations?
‘I think I will probably end up writing in some shape or form, whether it be as a hobby or as a full career. I feel that to be a writer, you need to have some personal experiences of your own, so before I consider anything, I plan to experience life to the full! If I were to be a writer, I would endeavour to ensure my ideas would carry enough gravitas to mean something to the reader.’
Watch this space!