WINNERS have been announced in Exmoor National Park Authority's (ENPA) ‘Dark Skies Writing Competition’.

The annual Exmoor Dark Skies festival ran from October 18 to November 4 and the writing competition judges have spent the weeks since reading each of the entries.

Minehead Middle School pupil Vivienne Rambe won the younger age category for children aged 11 years and under.

She received a Celestron Starsense 102AZ telescope presented by ENPA rural enterprise co-ordinator Julie Colman.

Her story ‘Huggalumps of the Hills’ was said by the judges to be ‘a fantastically fun and imaginative piece of work’.

Highly commended awards in the younger group went to ‘Milly and Monty’, by Fergus Brewer, and Lizzie Ashdown’s ‘Tales of Watersmeet Woods’.

Finley Richardson, pictured with Exmoor National Park Authority rural enterprise co-ordinator Julie Colman, won a special prize in the Exmoor Dark Skies Festival children's writing competition. PHOTO: ENPA.
Finley Richardson, pictured with Exmoor National Park Authority rural enterprise co-ordinator Julie Colman, won a special prize in the Exmoor Dark Skies Festival children's writing competition. PHOTO: ENPA. ( )

The older category for children aged 12 to 16 years was won by ‘An Unbreakable Bond’, by Rebecca Needs, of Taunton School, which the judges described as ‘a magically written story with incredible connection to Exmoor and the dark skies’.

Clothing brand Dryrobe, headquartered in Barnstaple, gifted one of its robes as a prize for the winning entry.

Highly commended were Amelia Bedding and Iris Brazier, who wrote ‘The Midnight Encounter’.

A prize was also awarded to Crowcombe Primary School pupil Finley Richardson, who wrote ‘Cassiopeia’.

Finley’s story was focused on a star making myth and ‘beautifully incorporated our dark skies’.

He won the schools prize, a ‘dark skies learning experience’ with the ENPA engagement team.

Ms Colman said: “We were astounded by the number of entries we received and also the quality of the stories written.

“It proved a very difficult decision for our judges as there were so many exceptional stories.

“We would like to congratulate all the children who entered the competition and thank our three judges who gave up their time to read all the entries.”

The judges were Davina Jelley, owner of Dulverton bookshop Seven Fables, Erin Allgrove, author of ‘Bosun Bob The Salty Old Sea Dog’, and Marion Lindsay-Noble, who wrote ‘The Ant Murders’ series of books, which are based on Exmoor.

Next year’s dark skies festival is being held from Friday, October 17, to Sunday, November 2.