A STORY well told

There’s a feature this issue that brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. It’s on page 36 and it’s by Sarah Brown, about her disabled brother, Tim. And yet, while it’s sad, it is also filled with such joy in the happiness and colour Tim brought to her and her family’s lives. What makes it even more important is that Sarah, a mum of two, was the winner of a scholarship award run by our publishing company, Hearst, which was sponsored by the flat-share site Spareroom. The idea was to find new talent and give budding writers the chance to work in London on one of Hearst’s top brands. Prima was lucky enough to be paired with Sarah. She’d sent in a 500-word feature as part of the competition and her writing caught the judges’ attention. Her story about Tim is honest and thought-provoking. As she says, she never saw her brother’s disabilities; she simply wondered how people ever lived their lives without someone like Tim. Sarah had never written about her brother for a mainstream publication before, but she is a talent to be reckoned with. I’m so glad we found her and I see this as the start of great things.

If you feel you could write a story for Prima, too, this issue gives you the chance to do just that. As part of our crime-writing special (page 45), we’re launching a writing competition with author Lisa Jewell. She’s given us the first paragraph of a story and all you have to do is carry it on, writing a great plot and ending in no more than 2,000 words. I can’t wait to read all your entries… Good luck!