Youngsters’ spooky story competition launched
Youngsters are being asked to showcase their spooky skills by creating their own tale of terror for Halloween.
A host of gift vouchers are on offer for winners of the writing competition who come up with the most creative creepy concoctions.
The contest has been organised by Sunderland BID to coincide with Sunderland Libraries’ Literature Festival.
Youngpeopleagedfromfive to 18 are being invited to enter a 500-word long story, with the winners receiving vouchers for Waterstones and the Bridges, as well as a range of other treats.
The competition has been d iv i d e d up i nto th re e a ge groups – five to nine-yearolds, 10 to 13-year-olds and 14 to 18-year-olds. Entries will be judges including Chief Executive of Sunderland Culture Keith Merrin; David Turton, a local writer who specialises in dark fiction and horror; and Dr Sarah Dobbs, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Sunderland University.
Also joining the judging panel is dance sensation, Joseph Chow, who was one of the finalists on the BBC’s Greatest Dancer.
Sunderland City Council is partnering with the BID for the competition, which is also being supported by Waterstones at the Bridges. The competition will launch on October 5 and run until October 19, with the judges announcing their favourites with a reading of the winning stories on the scariest night of the year – Halloween.
S h a ro n Ap p l eby, H ead o f B u s i n e s s O p e rat i o n s at Sunderland BID, said: “This competition gives young people of all ages the opportunity to show how creative they areandcomeupwiththeirown spooky story.
E nte r at w w w. su n d e r - landbid.co.uk/sunderlandsspooky-stories