We had a fantastic evening at this year’s Andover Rotary Young Writer Awards, held at the Guildhall on Tuesday 24th February.
A total of 45 creative writing entries were submitted, with several students selected as finalists – an outstanding achievement. All entries responded imaginatively to the theme “Happiness in Nature”, showcasing a wide range of poetry and prose that clearly impressed the judges.
Special congratulations go to this year’s successful writers:
Intermediate Category
Winner: Wynifred D (Year 7)
Runner-Up: Amanda Z (Year 8)
Highly Commended: Evie B (Year 9)
Senior Category
Winner: Jessica M (Year 10) – also awarded the prestigious John Ray Cup as overall winner
Runner-Up: Samantha C (Year 10)
The winning entries were recognised for their beautifully crafted imagery and evocative storytelling, and will now go on to represent the competition at district level.
Certificates were presented to all finalists by the Mayor of Test Valley, Councillor Gordon Bailey MBE, with support from former Mayor Karen Hamilton, acting as Mayoress for 2025/26. Judges praised the exceptionally high standard of submissions, even sharing extracts from selected pieces during the ceremony.
This success highlights the creativity, dedication and talent of all those who took part – an impressive achievement in a highly regarded local competition.
