Abigail Jeffries from St. Bernard’s School in Slough has been announced as the winner of the Big Writing Challenge 2024 for her story "City of the Styx".
Date: 04 July 2024
Abigail Jeffries from St. Bernard’s School in Slough has been announced as the winner of the Big Writing Challenge 2024 for her story "City of the Styx".
Organised by London Metropolitan University and Orion Publishing Group, this annual competition aims to develop the writing skills of students from London Met’s partner colleges through workshops and panel events.
The shortlisted pieces were Turning of the Hourglass by Gabriel Chafer-Budeiri from Barnet and Southgate College; What Once Was by Maria-Belle Sabre from Christ the King College and City of the Styx by Abigail Jeffries from St. Bernard’s Slough.
Originally developed by London Met’s Creative Writing lecturers, the University’s Outreach Team, and Orion staff from editorial, marketing, publicity, and sales departments, the Big Writing Challenge aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the publishing industry.
Sareeta Domingo, Author and Editorial Director for Trapeze, judged the shortlist this year and selected City of the Styx as the 2024 winner. She praised Abigail's story for its insightful critique, stating it ‘smartly skewered the ways that individual power can affect the very land where we live as well as the people being ruled.’ Domingo further described the piece as a “brilliantly imaginative fable” and was ‘incredibly impressed by the use of language and how many ideas Abigail packed into such a short tale’.
As the winner, Abigail’s work will be published on the Orion Books website. She will also receive books recommended by Orion editors, a ‘Moleskine Smart and Classic’ notebook from Moleskine and £100 Prezzee voucher from London Met.
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