Chippenham MP Michelle Donelan recently met with all three winners of her short story competition to present them with their well-deserved prizes and parliamentary goodies.  

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of World Book Day and to encourage year six children to pick up a book and take up reading, the MP challenged children aged between 10 and 11 to come up with an imaginative fiction story of no more than 500 words.

Waterstones in Chippenham sponsored the competition and provided prizes for first, second and third places.She said it was "very difficult" to decide on only three winners, and therefore has decided to name two winners in joint first place.

Isabella Thomas from St. Peters C of E Academy, Chippenham who wrote The Clownfish: and Faye Jessop from Heywood Prep in Corsham bagged the top prizes while Isabella Honey from Redland Primary School in Chippenham who wrote The Pixies came in second.

Michelle Donelan MP said: “I was brilliant to meet with Isabella, Isabella and Faye to present them with their prestigious prizes. They were all really excited to win and to have been given their awards in front of their classmates.

"Isabella, Isabella and Faye told me just how much they enjoy reading and I am sure if they keep up with their writing, they will go a long way.”

Currently, only 65 per cent of pupils at key stage 2 in England hit the “expected standard” in reading, writing and maths something Ms Donelan is keen to tackle.