THE 23rd annual Wills Writing Awards, for creative writing (fact or fiction) around a horse racing theme by a young person resident in the UK or the Republic of Ireland, attracted 55 entries. Of these, 30 were in the under 26 category, 16 in the under 19 category, and nine in the under 15 category.

The under 26 winner is PR consultant, budding author and blogger, Fiona Sherlock, originally from Navan in Co Meath, now living in Dublin. Fiona received £1,000 for her article, A Toddler and the Grand National, of which she observes: “The Grand National is something that seems to have always been there, like a second cousin you see once a year. A Toddler and the Grand National delves into my nostalgic first memory of the race. This sentimental yearning for the past is juxtaposed with the changes to the spectator experience that have happened in my relatively short life.”

The first under 26 runner-up is Jessica Crandon (24), originally from Wokingham in Berkshire. In her own words, Jessica’s entry, The Home Straight, “Is about hope and home. It follows a young man during World War One, and the way he finds optimism through remembering his roots and his racing career.”

”Forever a Gambler” is the entry from joint under 26 runner-up Exeter University student Lara Hopkins (20) from Walkhampton, Tavistock in Devon, who was also a runner-up last year. It weaves a poignant tale of her relationship with her risk-taking father with an unexpected final twist.