CREATIVE energy were the buzz words at the Young Writer of the Year awards at County Hall, where the county's next generation of wordsmiths received their prizes.

Winner Nathaniel Shaughnessy from St Stephen’s Junior School, Canterbury received a trophy for his winning entry in the competition organised by Kent County Council and the Kent Messenger Group.

Nathaniel, an aspiring sports journalist, was joined by runners-up Sunisha Thapa from North Borough Primary School in Maidstone, Jordan Neagle and Hayley Brickell from St Eanswythe's CE Primary School in Folkestone and Molly Thompson from Bromstone Primary School in Broadstairs, and each were presented with a certificate and engraved pen.

KCC chairman Leyland Ridings welcomed the finalists and their families to his office for the celebration with John Simmonds, Mr Ridings' successor as KCC cabinet member for education and school improvement and Leo Whitlock, South and East Kent senior editor for the Kent Messenger Group.

During the informal gathering Mr Ridings presence gave the children a flavour of the ceremonial duties he undertakes and Mr Simmonds reflected upon the books that captivated him in his school days.

Mr Whitlock offered words of encouragement of his own and talked about the pressures of a newsroom.

Before taking the children for a tour, Mr Simmonds applauded the children's enthusiasm for writing. "It's so important that children such as yourselves enjoy writing and creating," he said.

"Please hang on to that creative energy."

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