Cllr. Jim Deenihan and Colm Toibín congratulate Kim Bradfield, winner of the U18 Creative writing competition. A worthy winner.

Kim Bradfield Winner U18 Creative Writing, and Philip Krause Joint 3rd U18 Creative Writing as they receive their awards on Opening night at Listowel Writers Week 2017.

Ashton School 5^th Year students Kim Bradfield and Philip Krause, along with their supportive families, attended Listowel Writer’s Week 2017 on May 31^st for the official Opening of this internationally renowned festival of literature, to accept their awards on the night, with pride. Kim was awarded 1^st prize in the U18 Creative Young Writer’s competition, and Philip Krause awarded Joint – 3^rd prize in the same category.  Colm Tóibín President of Listowel Writers Week, and internationally acclaimed writer,  congratulated Kim and Philip on their outstanding achievements.  When asked for words of advice for fledgling writers, he quipped ‘Always finish what you start’. Wise advice for new writers.   Former Mininster for Arts, Sports and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan also congratulated and acknowledged both Ashton students for their great literary work, citing an ‘optimistic future for the arts’.

Following up on the awards night, Kim read her work next day at Listowel Arms Hotel to an assembled international audience of creative writers who listened with rapt attention. Nods and smiles of understanding confirmed the veracity of her capacity in writing. Being congratulated for her outstanding work subsequent to the reading, Kim accepted many plaudits in an unassuming way, which belies her artistic literary creativity.

Kim and Philip both worked on their creative literary submissions over the earlier part of the academic year and showed diligence and ingenuity in their approach to this work, and the study of English at Ashton with their English teachers, Mrs. Collins and Ms. Burke respectively, reaping rich rewards as a result.

Kim’s work is now published in the Winners’ Anthology of Writing 2017, a serious indictment of a young, up and coming creative writer.

Ashton School students have only been competing over the last four years, and were award winners on three of those occasions.

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