WINNERS have been announced for the first short story competition run by Wiveliscombe book shop Chocolate Books.

There were 26 entries across three categories with the youngest entrant just four years old and the eldest in their 80s.

Certificates, rosettes, and book vouchers will be awarded at a ceremony in the book shop, in High Street, on Saturday morning (May 24).

Entries were free for under-16s and each story had to be typewritten and no more than 1,000 words, with each budding author receiving feedback on their work.

Chocolate Books, which succeeded the Old Carousel Pig, sells new fiction and non-fiction for adults and children.

Shop owner and author Ally Kennen, said: “We were delighted to host the first Chocolate Books short story competition.

“We wanted to tempt anybody even remotely curious to have a go at writing a story, be they old or young, experienced scribe, or barely learned to hold a pencil.

“We believe everybody has a story or two inside them and it was wonderful to offer up this event.

“We thank and congratulate everybody who entered, and special praise for our prize winners, all of whom surprised, engaged, and delighted us.”

Ms Kennen said the competition would be held again next year, when, hopefully, there would be even more entries.

Winners:

Age 16-plus - 1st ‘Let Day’ by Gabriel Smy, 2nd ‘Leave The Light On For Me’ by Peter Bettridge, 3rd ‘Dead Weight’ by Kirsty Boutflower.

Age nine to 15 years - WWN & WSFP Chocolate Books shop Wiveliscombe1st ‘Claude, The Super Sausage Dog’ by Francis Aykroyd, 2nd ‘The Monsters Beyond Magic’ by Flora Leigh-Firbank, 3rd ‘The Time-Travelling Penguin’ by Elis Neilson.

Age under-eight years - 1st ‘Baibee Elefant And Frends’ by Edie Richards, 2nd ‘The Magical Lake’ by Jack Richards, 3rd‘Mara And The Mouse In The Moat’ by Seren Neilson.