Tudor House is thrilled to announce an exciting new competition for budding young authors in Worcestershire, as part of our National Heritage Lottery Funded Revealing the Past project!
We have teamed up with local author Ken Preston, who has written the beginning of a short story set in Worcester, during the plague outbreak here in the 1630s. Between June 1637 and the spring of 1638, the plague killed over 1000 people, almost 10% of the city’s population. Quarantines were set and food ran short as markets ground to a halt, while plague “doctors” stalked the streets.
Legendary local historian Dr Pat Hughes has recently written a blog post about the outbreak which you can read here if you’d like to know more about this terrifying time.
Now, we’re calling on you to finish the story Ken has started, about what life was like during the outbreak: tell us ‘what happens next’, based on Ken’s opening. We don’t mind what you write next – any genre or style is fine, but you must keep the same setting and your entry must be no longer than 1,000 words (not including the original opening).
You can read the beginning of Ken’s story here: The Man by Ken Preston
And then watch a video with him on our YouTube channel, where he gives some of his best tips for writing fiction. Once your creative juices are flowing, get writing!
Entries are due by 11:59pm on Saturday 31st October, and results will be announced on Saturday 14th November. The winners will receive book tokens, and we’ll be publishing all entries on our website. We’ll also be exhibiting entries in the museum.
Please read the rules carefully to make sure you comply with all the criteria, and we look forward to receiving your story!
The Rules
1. The competition is only open to people aged between 11 and 16 (school years 7 to 11) who are living in Worcestershire. We’ll pick one winning entry from Key Stage 3 and one from Key Stage 4, so make sure you tell us how old you are, and what year group you’re in at school on the entry form.
2. Your story must not be longer than 1,000 words (not including the beginning written by Ken)
3. You must fill out the entry form, which you can download here, so we can contact you about your entry and ensure we have your parent or guardian’s permission for you to enter: Writing Competition Entry Form
4. We must receive your short story and entry form by 11.59pm on Saturday 31st October 2020
5. Email both, as Word documents to anna@tudorhouse.org.uk
If you have any questions, you can contact Anna on the above email. We’re really excited to read your stories – good luck!