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• Competition entries
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• Inspiring students
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• Introducing creativity

Tell us your story winner announced

In 2011, AQA ran a Creative Writing Competition for schools and colleges. The first prize was a creative writing workshop held at the winning school with author Diane Samuels. Read all about the winners and the workshop and find inspiration for introducing your own creative writing activity to your English teaching on these pages.

Congratulations to our winner, Terri-Ceres Mejias Puckerin for her imaginative and outstanding entry, Life as a wannabe pirate.

Terri-Ceres Mejias Puckerin has won a creative writing workshop with Diane Samuels, for 15 of her classmates and £500 for St Thomas More School to spend on books.

Our two runners-up will receive a class set of a GCSE or A-level text, of their choice, for their schools.

The competition asked students to delve deep within their imaginations and tell us their story, who, what and where has defined their identity. What does identity mean to them? Inspiration was sought from Diane Samuels' Kindertransport, the students' own lives and the lives of those around them.

Winner

Terri-Ceres Meijas-Puckerin, St Thomas More School

'For it's imagination, vibrant quikiness and original, authentic voice, I chose "Pirates Piece" by Terri-Ceres Meijas-Puckerin as the winning entry' Diane Samuels

'This story is witty and original, full of surprising twists. The writer was in control throughout and the pirates and motif made it very unusual. I also liked the idea that identity is formed in childhood by the people who influence us when we are small.'

Angela Topping, AQA moderator and competition adjudicator.

Read Life as a wannabe pirate

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Runners-up

Natasha Creek, Whitby Community College

This stood out for me... because the writing is so mature and intelligent. It's very imaginative and I would definitely want to read the whole novel; I certainly got a sense that there was a full length piece behind it, rather than it being an inconclusive short story. I like the different view points and the realism. It's well researched too.

Angela Topping, AQA adjudicator

Read Memoirs of a captive

Aisha Débar, The Beauchamp College

We saw a great many 'story of my life' type pieces. This was one of the best because it's beautifully structured and there is no self pity in it at al. It has a refreshing directness and there is not a word in excess. It's been crafted carefully and it has all the spareness of poetry.

Angela Topping, AQA adjudicator

Read My identity

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Shortlisted entries

Emma Loughlin, Winstanley College

This is cleverly crafted from a well imagined situation. The dialogue was strong and the contrasts brought out between how the mother character changed when the friend has gone were well handled.

Angela Topping, AQA adjudicator

Read Appearance and reality

Bethany Wright, All Saints School

The detachment of this piece reminded me of Primo Levy's work on the Holocaust of WW2. It is astonishing that such a young person can write about this difficult subject with such deep thought.

Angela Topping, AQA adjudicator

Read Identity in Auchwitz

Quincy Washington, The Royal Latin School

This poem stood out for me because of the thoughtful imagery. It showed an original and contemplative approach to the theme, As a poem it was well crafted with considered line breaks and a measured tone. The youtube version went the extra mile.

Angela Topping, AQA adjudicator

Watch Identity

Joele Forrester, Exeter College

I enjoyed the subtlety of this story, the way some big issues were treated with tact and delicacy and the meanings invested in a small object is very much in tune with some of the reminiscence work that is being done with the elderly these days. It's a very mature piece, despite the slightly verbose opening.

Angela Topping, AQA adjudicator.

Read Brooch