Saturday, October 05, 2013

The Catholic Young Writer Award for 2013...

...will be presented this week at a meeting of THE KEYS, the Catholic Writers' Guild of England and Wales. The winner this year is Cecile Janssen, of St Mary's School, Ascot. She wins a trophy to be held for one year, plus a cash prize (£50) and a collection of book prizes.

The Award was inaugurated in 1999, when Antony Tyler was Master of the Guild,  and it has gone from strength to strength. Antony runs Fisher Press, a very successful  small independent publishing company. This year, as always, he will be among those donating a book prize for the winner and meeting her and her parents at Mass and dinner at the Guild meeting. The speaker will be journalist Christopher Howse, whose writings in the Daily Telegraph and elsewhere are always a delight.

Runner-up pries were gained by pupils at a number of Catholic schools, and some will receive YOUCAT, generously donated by Aid to the Church in Need,  others a Simple Prayer Book (CTS) and yet others a small pocket catechism produced by Fr John Redford of Maryvale fame.

Theme of the Award for 2013 was mercy and forgiveness, and students were invited to write a letter to a friend who had said "I don't need to go to confession. I don't commit sins", or to write an essay focusing on the theme of the Prodigal Son.

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