Cork’s Ava, 11, wins short-story contest

A gifted young author from Cork has become the senior winner of the Specsavers short-story competition at this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards.

Ava Hickey, from Gaelscoil Uí Riada, Wilton, was announced as the national champion of the senior category.

The 11-year-old overcame strong competition to secure the prestigious victory.

Her prize includes a hamper of the books shortlisted in the recent Irish Books Awards children’s category, along with a €500 prize for the Gaelscoil Uí Riada school library.

Ava also received a surprise gift: A book featuring her very own winning story. This was brought to life through the vibrant artwork by renowned Irish illustrator Linda Byrne.

The short story theme was: ‘The carnival had come to town, a buzz of colour and noise. But there was one stall, tucked away in the corner, that was different. It was completely silent, and the sign above it read, ‘See Your Dreams:- One Euro Only’. I knew what to do…’

Ava’s winning story, entitled ‘Dr Scoundrel and the Dragon Gems’, impressed the judges, who felt she has a promising future as a budding author.

Ava was thrilled, saying: “I really enjoyed writing my story and using my imagination to create such a fun world. I can’t wait to read all my new books and I’m excited to see our school library full of new books!”

School principal Breanndán O Gréillgh said the entire Gaelscoil Uí Riada community is “bursting with pride for Ava”.

“Her success in the Irish Book Awards is a wonderful achievement. We champion creativity in our students, and Ava’s writing beautifully exemplifies this. We extend our sincere thanks to Specsavers for their generous donation to our library, which will benefit all our students.”

Ava and her school were presented with their awards by the bestselling author and podcast host Georgie Crawford.

“As an author and someone who lives for the power of stories, I was so excited about the competition.

“It was a privilege to present the winners with their awards and to see their little faces light up when they held their books in their hands for the very first time,” Ms Crawford said.

The awards ceremony was held at Halfway Up the Stairs, an award-winning children’s bookshop in Greystones, County Wicklow that was named An Post Irish Bookshop of the Year in 2023.