Kids, start your stories write now

STUDENTS in and around the Buninyong area are invited to submit an imaginative narrative and illustration to the township’s Short Story Writing Competition.

The contest is open to children who are school-aged between prep and year 7 who live in Buninyong or its surrounding areas or feel that they connect with the community in any way.

All stories and drawings will be displayed at the local Foodworks, with the winning entries published in the Buninyong & District Community News.

Organiser Hayley Quach said the competition was formed to help combat boredom at home.

“Kids are all stuck at home, they can’t visit their friends or go to the playground,” she said. “So, when they write their stories, the kids can go crazy with their imaginations and we hope there’s a bit of freedom in that.”

The competition has been divided into three categories – prep to grade 2, grades 3 and 4, and grade 5 to year 7.

Entries will be assessed by freelance book editor Alison Arnold, who has worked on projects such as The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison and All My Januaries: Pleasures of Life and Other Essays by Barbara Blackman.

Ms Quach encourages all who are interested to submit a story.

“There’s no expectations or requirements for this competition,” she said. “We want everyone to submit a story if they can, at the end of the day it’s just for fun.”

Entries from students in prep to grade 2 have a 200-word limit and must be submitted by 1 June. Stories from students in grade 3 to year 7 have a 450-word limit and must be submitted by 7 June.

For more information or to check out how to enter a story, visit buninyongstories.weebly.com.