A young author from Burnham-On-Sea is set to visit Buckingham Palace after becoming a finalist in the BBC’s 500 Words competition.
Elsie, 10, from Burnham-On-Sea is among 50 finalists selected from 44,000 entries.
The competition challenges children between the ages of five and 11 to write a story in 500 words.
Elsie said she “can’t believe” she has made it to the final. The 50 finalists will attend Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Camilla and a group of celebrities who will be reading out the stories.
The six winners across two different age categories will be announced on 7th March as part of a special programme on The One Show.
Elsie says she started writing her comedy story, ‘Snickers and Knickers’Â when she was about seven-years-old.
It follows the character Bella Rose, who writes diary entries over the course of a week about her embarrassing parents and her crush, Charlie Harps. Elsie said she drew inspiration from her favourite author, Katie Kirby.
“I really want to be an author when I grow up,” she said. “I think being a part of [500 Words] has made me feel like I’m actually capable of doing that.”
Head of BBC Education, Helen Foulkes, said: “It’s brilliant that so many children from across the UK entered their stories to BBC 500 Words, a competition that goes to the heart of BBC Children’s and Education.”
“The Grand Final is going to be a very special occasion that celebrates the next generation of creative writers.”
