Kerry pupil’s sci-fi story steams ahead of rivals to win fantasy fiction title

A Kerry student beat almost 10,000 entrants in a fantasy writing competition with his story about a tense chase through an airship.

Liam Stein, 16, a transition year student at Presentation Secondary School, Miltown, Killarney, took the title for writing a steampunk fantasy.

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction set in the 19th century during the growth of industrialisation.

Judges in the John West Fantasy Writing Competition were impressed at how Liam used three essential ingredients — an airship, a war, and a hero to create ‘Chases in the Sky’. The judges said it was a very clever and inventive story and were particularly impressed with Liam’s ability to create a whole world in just a few pages.

However, Liam, shrugged off his newfound fame. “Writing could always be a fallback but it is not at the top of my list.”

He said everyone in his class had entered the competition. “We all hoped we would win, but I have to admit that English is not my best subject so it was quite a shock when my name was called out.”

Liam, who also loves drawing and hunting, found some of his inspiration for his story from playing Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy role-playing game that offers endless possibilities.

Liam received his prize — a tablet PC and a meeting with an Irish literary agent, at a presentation ceremony in the Mansion House, Dublin, yesterday.

The following are the category winners who each received an iPod Touch:

Primary Category winner — Emily Hickey (5th class), Gaelscoil Chaladh An Treoigh, Monaleen, Co Limerick, for ‘The Wild Adventures of Captain Crunch and the Giant Spider’, a story that ends with a treasure hunt in outer space. The judges said there was great dialogue and a fantastic sense of tension throughout Emily’s story.

Secondary — Wiktoria Kupiec, (3rd year) Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland, Co Kerry, for ‘Shadow Slayer’, a knight who sets out to eliminate the ruler of their new world, the Emperor. The judges said Wiktoria was an excellent storyteller who knew how to build tension very well. They also said she was a beautiful writer.

Secondary Senior — Emily Nolan (5th year), Davitt College, Springfield, Castlebar, Co Mayo, for ‘Run for Your Money’, a story about Liz, who can control minds, her friend, Jet, a horse and ruthless trackers with black eyes. The judges liked Emily’s story because of its richness — as if it is a small section from a superbly written novel.

=http://www.john-west.ie/writing-competition]www.john-west.ie/writing-competition