Writing will ‘take you on adventures’, Queen tells competition finalists

The Queen praised young writers for taking readers on “breathtaking explorations” as she presented medals for a national writing competition at Windsor Castle.

Camilla met each winner during the BBC 500 Words awards ceremony, which was filmed for a special episode of The One Show released on Friday.

The young winners’ entries were read in Waterloo Chamber by celebrities including actress Joanna Page, Peep Show star Paterson Joseph and TV presenters Bradley and Barney Walsh.

Former Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker, rapper Big Zuu and DJ Sara Cox also read some of the stories.

Camilla encouraged all 50 finalists who were invited to Windsor Castle to keep on writing.

“I think to get children reading and writing stories especially nowadays is so important,” she told host Alex Jones.

“And also it gives them time to get away from some of their folks.

“So, I think it’s so important that children keep on writing. It is the best thing you could possibly do. It will take you all on adventures all over the world.”

The Queen said she hoped the competition, which she has supported since 2015, has helped children “discover a secret, that reading and writing are the best fun ever”.

She said: “And don’t just take my word for it – many years ago, a famous author said this: ‘In the main, writing is just thrill: the thrill of exploring’.

“You have proved him right, as, through the magic of your pens and devices, you have brought your imaginations to life and led your readers on breath-taking explorations.

“The man who found writing so thrilling was AA Milne, who, exactly 100 years ago, published the first book that introduced us to his beloved bear, Winnie-the-Pooh.

“Pooh, like all of us here, had firm views about story-telling. He didn’t much like long, difficult words, but rather short, easy words like, ‘What about lunch?’.”

The ceremony celebrated the achievements of six winners from two age categories – five to seven and eight to 11 – with recognition given to gold, silver, and bronze recipients in each group.

Camilla presented each child with a medal, including gold winners Zuren Zhang, in the age five to seven category, and Maya Ukwubiwe in aged eight to 11.

Zuren’s tale followed two intrepid rabbits, Stew and Pidd, as they stowed away on a rocket to Mars, hoping to find a planet full of carrots, while Maya’s spooky story featured children on an adventure at the circus.

Illustrators brought the tales to life, creating pictures for each of the winning stories which were on display at the reception after the final.

Avid reader Camilla ended her speech with a quote from Milne: “Always remember: ‘You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think’, which makes you all winners.”

Since the 500 Words competition was launched in 2011 by Chris Evans on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, it has received more than one million stories from children throughout the UK.