Last updated 15:54, Wednesday, 26 March 2008

STUDENTS from St Joseph’s Catholic High School Business & Enterprise College have been delighted with their recent success in writing competitions.

Their first triumph came when 120 students were notified that their poems had been selected for publication by the organisers of the Young Writers 17th Annual Poetry Competition. The poems are all based on the theme ‘Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation’ and range on many subjects, from home and family to the environment and politics.

The pupils, aged 11 to 14, wanted to create a record for their future grandchildren of what life is like now.

The book of 500 poems from schools all over Cumbria has already been published. St Joseph’s students are hoping they have a chance of winning up to £1,000 for their school if selected as one of the best collections of entries nationally.

Around the same time, four other students received the news that they had been chosen from entries of schools throughout Cumbria as winners of a short story competition organised by the Save our Squirrels Society.

In the 12-14 age category, Benn James came first, Carmel Robinson second and Catherine McGuckian third. In the 9-11 category Mark Clark received third prize.

The winners were presented with book tokens and certificates at Bluebell Bookshop in Penrith.

News has just been received that 94 winning students will shortly have their ‘Mini Sagas’ published. This competition was also held by ‘Young Writers’ and entrants had to write a short story of 50 words or fewer – a challenge they rose to with enthusiasm.