We are delighted to celebrate the achievement of U6th student, Anna T., who has made the shortlist for the BBC Young Writers’ Award 2025.

The BBC Young Writers’ Award attracts thousands of entries from across the UK each year and there are just five young writers shortlisted. The five stories will be recorded by an actor, feature on a dedicated page on the BBC website and be published as part of an anthology.

Anna’s macabre story, The Omen, attracted the judges’ attention for its originality, gothic overtones and inventive use of a feline narrative perspective. 

As one of the shortlisted writers, Anna has been invited to take part in a creative writing workshop at Cambridge University at the end of September. She will also attend the award ceremony in London, which will be broadcast live on Radio 4’s flagship arts programme Front Row. Anna will have the chance for a tour of BBC Broadcasting House in London and will meet leading writers, publishers, agents and broadcasters. The eventual winner will also have a special one-to-one mentoring session with an author.

Anna says: “Being shortlisted for the BBC Young Writers’ Award feels surreal. English is one of my favourite subjects and I’ve loved writing since I was little, so to share my work on such a big stage is a dream come true. I’m so excited to have my story recognised in this way.”

“The story is written through an unconventional voice to evoke empathy and create awareness about ways that stray animals are treated. I feel that stray animals are often overlooked or even abused by people because they are deemed as dirty or rabid. I love incorporating political, social and historical ideas in my writing and I feel that the story reflects some the prejudices and alienation of people in society. The sense of loneliness that can be felt through the cat's narrative is my message that sometimes we just need to be a little nicer to each other and the animals we share the world with.” 

The Fettes English Department is certainly very proud of Anna’s achievements and delighted to see her success on a national stage.  She is a very talented Upper Sixth Form student and has had the opportunity to study a wide range of texts (in English and in translation) while studying the International Baccalaureate at Fettes. 

Launched in 2015, the BBC Young Writers’ Award is one of the UK’s most prestigious competitions for young writers aged 14 to 18, designed to spotlight new voices and nurture emerging literary talent. Past winners and shortlisted writers have gone on to secure publishing deals and win further national recognition.  The competition has proved popular with Fettesians in recent years and another of our students was fortunate enough to be shortlisted in 2023.

This year’s winner of the BBC Young Writers’ Award will be announced at the ceremony on 30th September 2025.