School Winged Monkey performance inspires Tamsen to national short story success

By Jill Dando News

Talented Weston student beats off more than 135,000 competitors to get through to the last 5000 in a prestigious story writing competition

Tamsen 12, of Priory Community School Academy (PCSA) in Somerset won through the first round of the Radio 2 ‘500 words’ story competition

She wrote her story, ‘Mercy’s Miracle Rescue’ after her performance as a Winged Monkey in the PCSA performance of Wizard of Oz last year.

Her story is about a group of chimpanzees cared for in a wildlife sanctuary, who ultimately rescue the woman who first rescued them.

In a wonderful show of determination and persistence, Tamsen has entered the competition since the age of five.

Principal Angelos Markoutsas said: “Tamsen has done brilliantly and showed incredible hard work and character to continue to write her stories. She is a bright talent with a great future.”

The competition allows children aged between 5 and 13 years old to enter an original source of fiction using no more than 500 words.

The winner will be announced on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on 12th June broadcast live from Buckingham Palace.