Congratulations to SCBWI members Teri Terry, Penny Wilcox and Jeannie Waudby who won commendations at the recent Winchester Writers' Conference (not to be mistaken for the SCBWI conference in Winchester this autumn). 

The competition had 16 categories in various genres. The children's genre (three categories - 4-7, 8-11 and 12+) was sponsored by Little Tiger Press. Competitors sent in their opening 500 words plus synopsis.

"I was incredulous," said  Penny Wilcox who won first place in the 8-12 category for her entry The Boy's Still Running - the title refers to a quote from a song by the Oysterband. It's set in a post-global-warming, much-of-it-under-water Britain and the central character is a boy who becomes separated from his family during the evacuation of London. "I've written most of the first draft but there is a huge, huge amount of work still to do: it's very rough and ready at present. The age-range as specified in the competition was 8-11 though it's probably more 9-12"

Teri Terry won second prize in the 12+ category for Crystal Might, about Jane who discovers herself while trying to flee a world dominated by her sister Izzy's illness. Teri also won highly commended in the adult competition Writing Can Be Murder for her text Ready Steady Die, about a reluctant photographer snoop who finds a body.

Jeannie Waudby who was highly commended for her 12+ novel Jade Lions said, "I was very surprised to even be shortlisted, as i have been writing that book for a million years, and it is on its 11th - and last! -  draft.  Mind you, Jane Austen took 16 years to finish Sense and Sensibility." Jade Lions is a time-travel story about 12-year old Amanda, who escapes to 1960s Hong Kong.