Town meets country in Cate Hensen's Elsie Locke Writing Prize story
The Elsie Locke Writing Prize, now in its third year, is a great opportunity for young writers to develop an original piece of writing for publication. The competition commemorates Elsie Locke’s life as a New Zealand writer and as a campaigner for peace, the environment, and women’s issues.
Open to students in years 7 and 8, this year’s challenge was to write about a journey, real or imagined. The journey could be a physical one that involves travel or a journey of self-discovery – or a combination of the two. It could be set in the past, present, or future.
The 2011 winner was Cate Hensen, a year 8 student from Cardinal McKeefry School in Northland, Wellington. We received around 1200 entries – the most so far in the three years that the competition has been run. The winning entry is published in a Part 4 School Journal and the writer receives a prize of $500. The prize was presented at Cate's school by Elsie's son, Keith Locke MP. Her oldest son, Don, was also present.
The story was called "Too Close to the Wind", and it is about two townies stuck in the back of a dodgy ute, at the mercy of a farmer who is enjoying very much the power of being in the driver's seat as they tour his high-country sheep farm. The author has a great time playing both with the tension and the humour of the situation, while also describing the actual journey with evocative detail.
The judges said, "It's a very mature story for such a young writer, and it grabbed our attention straight away. We were especially impressed by Cate's ability to show and not tell. Knowing what to leave out and instead trusting the reader takes a long time to learn, but Cate seemed to have an instinctive understanding of this. And that's why her writing stood out".
The annual writing competition is supported by the Elsie Lock Memorial Trust and Learning Media.
Cate Hensen (front), with (L to R) Don Locke, Susan Hill (Acting Principal, Cardinal McKeefry School), Keith Locke, Susan Paris (School Journal editor)