Write Your Own Historical Fiction competition winners 2024

Real history contains some of the most fanciful, exciting, worrying and incredible stories – learning about the past can open our eyes to how people have interacted with the world and each other for centuries. It is not surprising that alongside the real history most cultures and traditions have a way to tell stories that are not necessarily true but that tell a version of the truth to help us to imagine and visualise the past. In the last two hundred years this storytelling has given rise to a huge genre of literature known as historical fiction.

We at the HA feel that historical fiction can be a great gateway to learn about the past and to explore it. That is why we encourage the reading of historical fiction and promote it with our competition the Young Quills Awards. However, the Young Quills is for professional writers and we also want to encourage learning through the telling of history using fiction. That is why every year we hold the Young Historical Fiction competition. The competition is an opportunity for children from primary age to mid-teens to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of history in a creative way. There is even an award for best character as well as the overall winners – that is how much we want to nurture a creative love of storytelling in the history tradition.

What is more the shortlist gets judged by a professional award-winning fiction writer and the best ones get published on our website.

Therefore, we are delighted to announce the winners for 2024 (you can read the winning stories via links at the bottom of this page):

Primary

• Elizabeth Fletcher-Woodley of the Newport School, Leyton with Layla’s Escape.
• Rosy O’Donnell of Woodlea Primary School, Woldingham, with A Miraculous Escape.
• Nikhil Bhatt of Orley Farm School, Harrow, with Edward.

Secondary

• Emilie Price, of Moulsham High School, Chelmsford, with For Now I Die.
• Noà Williams of Holmfirth High School.
• Freya Vincent with The Disaster.

Characters

• Eliza Mann of Moulsham High School Chelmsford, with Ellen Williams, central character of I Deserved It, Didn’t I.
• Tanveer of Park Hall Junior Academy, Walsall, with Castle Thornfield, the central character of The Last Stand of Castle Thornfield
• Jasper Owens, Tadcaster Grammer school, Tadcaster, with Robert Bates, from The Journal of Ingenious Things.

Head judge Tony Bradman (Young Quills winner) comments on this year’s winners:

“Judging this year’s historical fiction competition gave me a lot of pleasure. Apart from anything else, it was wonderful to see how today’s children are engaging with history. All the stories I read showed a deep interest in engaging with the past, and many approached the idea of historical fiction with real originality and creativity. It was very difficult to decide on the winners – there were so many good stories, and I want to congratulate everyone who took part. But here is my selection.”

Primary

 
Layla’s Escape by Elizabeth Fletcher-Woodley of the Newport School, Leyton
“This story really stood out for me – using a cat as the central character was a brilliant way to explore the civilisation of Ancient Egypt.”

A Miraculous Escape by Rosie O’Donnell of Woodlea Primary School, Woldingham
“I found this story about a Jewish family escaping from Nazi Germany in 1938 almost unbearably tense – an excellent piece of thriller writing.”

Edward by Nikhil Bhatt of Orley Farm School, Harrow
“A very moving story of WW2 that takes in both evacuation and the bombing of Coventry, all told very well from a child’s viewpoint.”

Secondary

 
For Now I Die by Emilie Price, of Moulsham High School, Chelmsford
“A very clever, original and well written take on the Anne Boleyn story, with the lead-up to her execution told by Anne herself.”  

Story without a title by Noá Williams of Holmfirth High School
“This story about the end of WW2 in Germany is beautifully told from a number of different viewpoints and really brings that time to life.”

The Disaster by Freya Vincent
“A very evocative story packed with rich historical detail – the emotions of people in the past are impressively brought to life.”

Characters

 
Ellen Williams, central character of I Deserved It, Didn’t I by Eliza Mann of Moulsham High School Chelmsford
“This character – a young working-class girl in the early 19th century – is beautifully realised.”

Castle Thornfield, the central character of The Last Stand of Castle Thornfield by Tanveer of Park Hall Junior Academy, Walsall
“Making a castle the central character in its now story must have been a real challenge to pull off – but it works exceptionally well!”

Robert Bates, from The Journal of Ingenious Things by Jasper Owens
“This character – a real WW2 ‘boffin’ – is very lively and well-rounded.”

If you would like your students or school to enter the Historical Fiction Competition 2025, it will be launched in December.