Category: News!

News!

Young Writers Award Evening 2025 – What A Night!

Windsor Writers Group

The presentation of awards for the shortlisted submissions to the Young Writers Competition 2025 took place on Saturday 11th October at The Old Court.

The evening was very well attended and the standard of entries extremely impressive. We had twenty-four prizes to award to twenty-two prizewinners, who were accompanied by their friends and family. Here are the details of all the prize winners in the order they were presented on the night:

Y6/7 Story Awards – Awarded by Legoland and Chiltern Bookshops

CommendedEmma WhapplesThe Silent Street
CommendedOrla CreswellThe Mysterious Encounter
Highly CommendedTharuli RatnayakaThe Forgotten Souls
Highly CommendedHarmony Carro-TevfikRunning Away
SecondLexii YangFalse Recall
FirstTheo Anton-LiThe End of the Beginning

Y6/7 Poem Awards – Awarded by Legoland and Chiltern Bookshops

CommendedRuby MoudrakGreatness of Gratitude
Highly CommendedFreddie SmartMy Dog Hector is The Best Dog in the World
SecondSophie McCabeScarecrow
FirstJulia JohnsonMy Bonnie and me

Years 8-10 Story Award – Awarded by Tesco

CommendedMichael Aitchison-AnastasioReaching the Top of the Globe
CommendedLisa PietrzakHis Head Fell For Her
Highly CommendedTianna FlemingFinding Myself 
Highly CommendedDarcey KelsallThe Runner
SecondSadie BellWhen I Dance
FirstTabby SpenceThe Letter

 Y8-10 Poem Award – Awarded by Tesco

Highly CommendedJames OdgersFriend or Foe
SecondAditi AroraWritten in the Stars
FirstSaad AzizGaza in my heart

Y11+ Story Award – Awarded by The Prince Philip Trust Fund

Highly CommendedPoppy KnowlesThe Man With No Face Phenomenon
First =Zakhar NavalnyyThe Lighthouse
First =Cyrus PoonawallaKite

Year 11+ Poem Award – Awarded by The Prince Philip Trust Fund

SecondPoppy KnowlesSelf-Justification
FirstCyrus PoonawallaDining Hall
Chair: Vanessa Gordon
Guest Author: Elaine Hastings
Secretary: Mike Moss

We Welcomed Notable Names From Near & Far

We were honoured to have with us the Mayor of Windsor & Maidenhead, Cllr Mandy Brar; and the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, Mr Joshua Reynolds; and two of our sponsors’ representatives, Mr Andrew Try, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, representing the Prince Philip Trust Fund, and Mr Jon Davey representing Tesco.

Our young writers have proved their amazing skill in writing. They can all have a beautifully bright future in the wonderful world of writing. They just need to keep going…

Guest Author Elaine Hastings (When We Were Young) presented the prizes and talked about her experiences as a writer, offering suggestions and encouragement to the young writers, during a conversation session with Vanessa Gordon, Chairman of Windsor Writers (The Naxos Mysteries).

After that Elaine and the available sponsors presented the prizes and certificates to the successful young writers, after which the audience heard the winning stories and poems read aloud. All the finalists are to be warmly congratulated.

How The Competition Worked

The competition was open to young writers from Year 6 up to the age of 18 on 31.8.2025 who live, work or go to school/college in RBWM. They could enter one short story of up to 500 words and/or one poem of up to 30 lines. Prizes awarded were:

  • First prize – Legoland voucher (youngest group), otherwise £75 book token
  • Second prize – Legoland voucher (youngest group story award), otherwise £30 book token
  • Highly Commended – £15 book token
  • Commended – £10 book token

Writers choose to write, not necessarily to be expert public speakers but we saw some exceptional skills in both those areas.

Thank you to our sponsors

Without your assistance, we couldn’t have given our young writers this opportunity.

Prince Philip Trust Fund – the fund makes a real difference to the quality of life of people from communities across the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. It focuses support towards disability, health, the elderly, families, children and young people, those in social need and the arts.

Chiltern Bookshops, not only for being brilliant independent bookshops, but also for their generous donation towards our prizes.

You can visit their shops in Gerrards Cross or Chorleywood for a unique bookshop experience including some fantastic author events.

LEGOLAND® – their Windsor Resort is a unique family theme park where visitors can take to the road, soar through the skies, and sail the seas in complete safety.  With interactive rides, attractions, live shows, building workshops, and driving schools, not to mention a staggering 80 million LEGO®bricks, all set in 150 acres of beautiful parkland. 

Tesco – one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, offering groceries, clothing, electronics, and more. Tesco operates various store formats, including Express and Extra, catering to diverse customer needs. It also emphasizes sustainability and community support initiatives.

News!

WWG Young Writers Competition Results 2025

Windsor Writers Group

It’s been a delight reading all the entries to our Young Writers Competition from across RBWM! The judges have now created a shortlist of young writers. Read on to find out who has been shortlisted…

Let’s celebrate together

Our shortlisted writers are all invited to The Award Ceremony at 7pm on Saturday 11th October at The Old Court, Windsor. The event promises to be an absolute blast with amazing hosts, readings, interviews and lots of well-deserved clapping!

Every shortlisted entrant will receive a free ticket to the ceremony, plus two complimentary tickets for family and friends. Additional tickets can be purchased via the Old Court website for just £7 for adults and £5 for children.

Note for the Award Ceremony

  • Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
  • There will be a photographer at the event. Photographs will be used on various websites and other media. 

Subject to permission, prize-winning entries will be published on our website after the Award Ceremony.

WWG Young Writers Competition 2025 – Shortlist

By category in alphabetical order.

Y6-7 Stories

NameTitle of pieceSchool
Emma WhapplesThe Silent StreetClaire’s Court, Maidenhead
Harmony Carro-TevfikRunning AwayClaire’s Court, Maidenhead
Lexii YangFalse RecallRBWM resident
Orla CreswellThe Mysterious EncounterCharters School
Tharuli RatnayakaThe Forgotten SoulsDedworth Middle School
Theo Anton-LiThe End of the BeginningPapplewick, Ascot

Y6-7 Poems

Freddie SmartMy Dog Hector is The Best Dog in the WorldDesborough College
Julia JohnsonMy Bonnie and meSt George’s School
Ruby MoudrakGreatness of GratitudeSt Edwards Royal Free
Sophie McCabeScarecrowSt Edwards Royal Free

Y8-10 Stories

Darcey KelsallThe RunnerSt Edwards Royal Free
Lisa PietrzakHis Head Fell For HerSt Edwards Royal Free
Michael Aitchison-AnastasioReaching the Top of the GlobeThe Windsor Boys’ School
Sadie BellWhen I DanceClaire’s Court, Maidenhead 
Tabby SpenceThe LetterClaire’s Court, Maidenhead
Tianna FlemingFinding myself The Windsor Girls’ School

Y8-10 Poems

Aditi AroraWritten in the StarsMarist School, Sunninghill 
James OdgersFriend or FoeCharters School
Saad AzizGaza in my heartDesborough College

Y11+ Stories

Cyrus PoonawallaKiteEton College
Poppy KnowlesThe Man With No Face PhenomenonThe Windsor Girls’ School
Zakhar NavalnyyThe LighthouseEton College

Y11+ Poems

Cyrus PoonawallaDining HallEton College
Poppy KnowlesSelf-JustificationThe Windsor Girls’ School

A huge thank you to our sponsors

Without your help, we couldn’t have made this competition happen.

Prince Philip Trust Fund – the fund makes a real difference to the quality of life of people from communities across the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. It focuses support towards disability, health, the elderly, families, children and young people, those in social need and the arts.

Chiltern Bookshops, not only for being brilliant independent bookshops, but also for their generous donation towards our prizes.

You can visit their shops in Gerrards Cross or Chorleywood for a unique bookshop experience including some fantastic author events.

LEGOLAND® – their Windsor Resort is a unique family theme park where visitors can take to the road, soar through the skies, and sail the seas in complete safety.  With interactive rides, attractions, live shows, building workshops, and driving schools, not to mention a staggering 80 million LEGO®bricks, all set in 150 acres of beautiful parkland. 

Tesco – one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, offering groceries, clothing, electronics, and more. Tesco operates various store formats, including Express and Extra, catering to diverse customer needs. It also emphasizes sustainability and community support initiatives.

News!

WWG Young Writers Competition Results

Windsor Writers Group

What a fantastic response we’ve had to our Young Writers Competition from the RBWM community! We’ve received a wonderfully diverse range of short stories and poems and our huge thanks go out to everyone for the time and effort they put in.

The judging panel were both entertained and impressed by the entries and have now created a shortlist of young writers who will all be written to either directly or via the school through which they submitted their entry. Letters are being sent out the week commencing 2nd September but in the meantime… drum-roll please… you can see the shortlisted writers in the table below.

Let’s celebrate success together

Our shortlisted writers are all invited to The Award Ceremony which will be on Saturday 12th October at The Old Court, Windsor at 1830 for 1900 start. The event will last about two-and-a-half hours and will include interviews with published writers, Essie Fox and Philip Kavvadias.

After a short interval in the proceedings, the awards and prizes will be announced and presented. Each of our shortlisted entrants will be awarded one of the following for their category:

  • First prize
  • Second prize
  • Highly Commended
  • Commended.

First and second prize winners will have their submissions read out, either by themselves if they wish, or by our professional actor Philip Delancy.

Every shortlisted entrant will receive a free ticket to the ceremony, plus two complimentary tickets for family and friends. Additional tickets can be purchased via the Old Court website for just £7 for adults and £5 for children.

Note for the Award Ceremony

  • Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
  • There will be a photographer at the event. Photographs will be used on various websites and other media. 

Subject to permission, prize-winning entries will be published on our website after the Award Ceremony.

We’d like to thank our sponsors

Prince Philip Trust Fund makes a real difference to the quality of life of people from communities across the RBWM. It focuses support towards disability, health, the elderly, families, children and young people, those in social need and the arts.

Chiltern Bookshops are brilliant independent bookshops with branches in Gerrards Cross and Chorleywood that provide a unique bookshop experience including some fantastic author events.

WWG Young Writers Competition 2024 – Shortlist

Short Story Categories

11-12 YearsTitleSchool
Aurelia BrunoHeatwaveUpton House
Elliott MarshallThe Secrets She Left BehindSt Edwards
Jessica CostaThe Velvet WaistcoatSt Edwards
Lexii YangSilent AffectionsDedworth
Manahil ZeeshanHaunted Helter SkelterUpton House
Purna HewageThe Mysterious TrailTrevelyan
   
13-15 Years  
Alice MartinThe Devil’s MaskSt Edwards
Elena LittlewoodHeadacheSt Edwards
Jack LinesThe Glare of WarLVS Ascot
Myra ShakeelFive More Minutes
Poppy KnowlesHot Air BalloonsWGS
   
16-18 Years  
Kitty SealesDaybreakWGS
Mathilda HopperOur Peaceful Enclave
Nishi RathodThe Security MinisterWGS

Poetry Categories

11-12 YearsTitleSchool
Ella Boutall, Desiree Lawson and Ivey-Ann EatonBooksDedworth
Humphrey Najeeb GunnThe Autumn BreezeUpton House
Jessica CostaSwallowSt Edwards
Lily DanielsThe Train of HappinessSt Edwards
Sophie McCabeThe SeasonsSt Edwards
13-15 Years  
Alice MartinStar Struck LoveSt Edwards
Aria McGeachieCampfire TapestryTrevelyan
Poppy KnowlesThe ArtistWGS
16-18 Years  
Charles DraneSongs of DespairCollege
Liam LekaFlowerCollege
Matilda HopperAll You Need is a Library

News!

A passion for writing takes one of our members to the Greek Islands

Windsor Writers Group

Whilst we are in the midst of running a writing competition for the young people of Windsor, this is a great tale of where your writing can take you.

Vanessa Gordon, one of our members, has published a successful series of novels known collectively as the Naxos Mysteries. This project has meant that Vanessa can indulge her huge love of the Greek Islands together with her passion for writing mystery novels. She’s even produced a spin off book covering Greek recipes that relate to her stories – delicious reading!  

On 20th May Vanessa was invited to hold a book signing event on the Cycladic Island of Paros, Greece. Here international art combined inside a small art gallery hung with work by local artists which is part of the Parea Restaurant (owned by Greek poet Iro Fokianou).

The ‘author talk’ was attended by people of various nationalities, both residents and visitors to Paros: Swiss, German, American, Austrian, Greek, Norwegian and British. Vanessa talked about her books, the writing and publishing processes, and explained how her writing is linked to the Cyclades Islands. A successful Q&A then book selling and signing followed before plenty of informal chatting with local wine and food.

Vanessa is very grateful to Paros resident Jean Polyzoides whose determination and creativeness made the wonderful event happen.

Poor Vanessa will have to go back to neighbouring Naxos in September where she is invited to be the Summertime Guest Writer at a local writing group and talk to them about her work.

Enjoy every moment Vanessa.

News!

Essie Fox to present Young Writers Awards

Windsor Writers Group

We are delighted to announce that acclaimed author Essie Fox has agreed to present the prizes for our Young Writers Competition. Essie is no stranger to the Sunday Times Bestseller list with her beguiling collection of gothic novels. She has been described by The Independent as ‘Deliciously unsettling’.

Essie Fox was born and raised in Herefordshire and now lives here in Windsor. After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked in publishing – before becoming self-employed in commercial art design.

Always an avid reader, she now writes historical novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. Her latest novel The Fascination, a Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller, features a fairground on the Brocas, the glamour of the London theatres, and an Oxford Street museum of morbid curiosities. 

Essie has lectured at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London, as well as attending many literary festivals and bookshop events.

We can’t wait to meet Essie at The Old Court in October to celebrate the wonderful new generation of Windsor writers.

The Yound Writers Competition is open to anyone aged 11-18 who lives, works, or goes to school in Windsor. Full details are available on our dedicated competition page.

News!

The Donyang Deception: Book Trailer

Windsor Writers Group

We welcomed Colin Farwell to the Windsor Writers’ Group this month. Whilst introducing himself, Colin mentioned he had written a new thriller novel. However, what we all weren’t expecting was his book trailer. Wow!

We have to share it with you.

Presenting…

The Donyang Deception: An attack with no defence

The Donyang Deception is available to purchase on Amazon

News!

Our Very Own Book Swap

Windsor Writers Group

Two of our members, Sudhana Singh and Phil Appleton, exchanged their published works at one of our recent meets. It’s important to broaden the mind by reading something a little different from what you usually go for.

We’re hopeful Phil will enjoy ‘Kindness, Kale and Kettleballs‘ which is an internationally acclaimed and moving autobiography that reached the final in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards.

And Sudhana, we strongly suspect reading ‘Blue Sky Red Carpet‘ is going to be very insightful. It depicts Phil’s very honest journey from airline pilot to successful actor – and there’s some turbulence on that trip.

News!

We are Launched: Woo-Hoo!

Windsor Writers Group

Windsor Christmas Tales was launched to a fanfare of support from the fantastic art-loving Windsor community at The Old Court last week. Look at the smiles from the authors’ above [from Left to right: Jonathan Posner, Robyn Kayes, Phil Appleton, Wendy Gregory, Vivien Eden, Rosa Carr, Sue Blitz, Helena Marie, Bryony Usher (Illustrator), Amanda Buchan, Kanthé].

Thank you to everyone that came – it was a fantastic turn out with lots of merriment!

For any of you that couldn’t make the launch and would like to get their hands on a book, we are excited to reveal that the book is now available to order through even more channels…

Did you know that back in 2017 the Windsor Writers’ Group published another collection of short stories with Windsor as its backdrop entitled Windsor Tales? Windsor Tales is available to buy via Feed A Read

Creative Inspiration, News!

3 Ways to Gently Introduce Christmas into Your Life (in November)

Windsor Writers Group

by Vivien Eden

“Christ-MAS is all around us,” as Bill Nighy sings in a well-known noughties movie. Well, that certainly seems to be the case all of a sudden. The school nativity dates are out, a new Christmas shop has popped up, Christmas carols were heard in Daniels department store last week and Santa in already booked out in certain establishments. How quickly the world moves through the seasons where Christmas is concerned. If it’s all a bit much but you don’t want to completely ignore the fact that Christmas is happening here are three ways to acknowledge it and lay the foundations so that when you are ready you can hit the ground running and embrace the season for all it is worth:

  1. Order a copy of the Windsor Christmas Tales book

You can order it from us here and we’ll carefully deliver a copy of this fantastic book to your home address where you can leave it to sit until you are ready to start reading some charming, festive stories set against the beautiful backdrop of Windsor. Alternatively, you can get ahead of the game and turn it into one of the first Christmas presents you buy for someone.

Like Windsor? Celebrate (or tolerate) Christmas? Then this is the book for you.

Not a fan of online shopping? You can support local Windsor retailers and pick up a copy of the book in Waterstones, Craft Coop and the Windsor Tourist Office (situated in the Windsor Museum). You can also pop along to the official book launch on Thursday if you’re near Windsor – now it will be a *bit* Christmassy but not too much. You’ll get to meet all the friendly Windsor Writers and buy the book at a special launch price.

2. Buy a Christmas delicacy with a long use by date and stick it in the cupboard

There’s probably one you like more than others. Mince pies, stollen, chocolate covered Brazil nuts… the latter being the one I personally went for. By doing this, you:

a) secure your favourite snack for Christmas Day in case there’s a world shortage nearer the time

b) can have a nibble if you have a bad day and cheer yourself up.

There’s really no downside to this option at all.

3. Accept that if anyone is expecting you to buy them an advent calender, you have to act now

Now I am sorry about this one but practically speaking 1 Dec is only a 3 weeks away. And I speak from experience when I say what a soul-destroying experience it is traipsing around every shop in town on 30 November trying to find one. I accompanied a dear collegue on this horrific pilgramage a few years ago and watched her have to buy two liquor chocolate advent calendars for her twin toddlers. On the plus side, I guess mum got to legitimately scoff the contents of those.

A reasonable selection in Aldi at the momenet for £1.99 #YouCanThankMeLater

Oh yes, Christmas should most definitely be taken at one’s own pace.

Photo by Julia Larson

News!

Book Launch Party Time!!

Windsor Writers Group

Who likes a party?

Me, me, me…

And what kind of party is the best type of party?

Why a book launch party of course.

WHEN: Thurs 10th Nov, 6:30-8:30pm

WHERE: The Old Court, St Leonards Rd, Windsor SL4 3BL

ENTRY IS FREE. ALL WELCOME

Yes, Windsor Christmas Tales is having it’s official launch on Thurs 10th November from 6:30pm at The Old Court. Come along, it’s free entry. All ages welcome. Meet the authors, get your signed copies, enjoy the bar and refreshments.

Kick off your Christmas in style! #WindsorChristmasTales22

Did we mention it’s a PARTY… Thursday is the new Friday after all.

We look forward to seeing you!