‘I really enjoyed writing my story’
Cork has a promising young author with a bright future ahead of her.
Ava Hickey from Gaelscoil Ui Riada School has been crowned the senior winner of Specsavers short story competition in this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards. The 11 year old entered the competition and triumphed over stiff rivalry to win the competition.
The prize included a hamper of the shortlisted books featured in the recent Irish Books Awards children’s category and €500 for Gaelscoil Ui Riada School library.
In addition to the prize hamper and library donation, Ava also received a surprise gift: a physical book featuring her very own winning story, brought to life through vibrant artwork by renowned Irish illustrator Linda Byrne.
Ava said she was thrilled with her win: “I really enjoyed writing my story and using my imagination to create such a fun world. I can’t wait to read all my new books and I’m excited to see our school library full of new books!”
The short story competition celebrates Specsavers’ sponsorship of the Junior and Senior Irish Children's Book of the Year categories at this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards 2024. The short story theme was ‘The carnival had come to town, a buzz of colour and noise. But there was one stall, tucked away in the corner, that was different. It was completely silent, and the sign above it read 'See Your Dreams - One Euro Only'. I knew what to do…’ and Ava’s winning story, titled Dr Scoundrel and the Dragon Gems, impressed the judges, who felt she had a bright future as a budding author.
Deirdre Moore, store manager at Ava's local Specsavers in Wilton, said: “At Specsavers, we're committed to supporting our local communities, and we're incredibly proud to celebrate Ava's Irish Book Award win. Her creative storytelling is an inspiration, and we're delighted to invest in her school's library with a €500 donation, fostering literacy and imagination among Cork's young readers.”
Principal Breanndán O Gréillgh said: “The entire Gaelscoil Ui Riada community is bursting with pride for Ava. Her success in the Irish Book Awards is a wonderful achievement. We champion creativity in our students, and Ava's writing beautifully exemplifies this. We extend our sincere thanks to Specsavers for their generous donation to our library, which will benefit all our students.”
Ava and her school were proudly presented with their awards by bestselling author and podcast host Georgie Crawford.
She said: “As an author and someone who lives for the power of stories, I was so excited about the competition. It was a privilege to present the winners with their awards and to see their little faces light up when they held their books in their hands for the very first time.”
This year's Irish Book Awards also saw one runner-up in Cork - Barbara Bester from Carrigaline. The talented runner-up was also awarded the full collection of shortlisted books featured in the recent Irish Books Awards children's category.