Winner of ITV Lorraine's Top Tales 2016 | In a nutshell: growing vegetables grows confidence and puts nasty Penelope in the shade
Katie Smith’s story beat 3000 others in Lorraine’s Top Tales competition on ITV, winning the approval of Lorraine Kelly and Bake Off’s Nadiya Hussain. It’s a lively, heart-warming adventure about a little girl who, with the help of her granddad and her grandma’s secret recipe, grows a really enormous pumpkin for the school project. There are definite hints of Roald Dahl in the story and the telling, and Smith has great fun dreaming up the special ingredients for the magical growing potion – it includes hedgehog poo, baked beans and Irn Bru! – while the relationship between Lottie and her granddad is really nicely described. A fun satisfying story with laughs a-plenty. ~ Andrea Reece
A note from the author: On 11 February 2016, in response to a new competition that had launched on ITV’s Lorraine, I wrote the first two chapters of a children’s story. Having taught English for the last nine years, I certainly had lots of experience with writing, but I had never attempted to write a children’s book and I wasn’t even sure I could finish it. I just had a character, an idea and an opening. After I finished the first couple of chapters, I read it to my dad who said, in typical dad style, ‘That’s quite good; I reckon you might stand a chance with that!’
Never in a million years did I think he was right. I entered the competition on a whim; not even letting myself imagine that what I had written would be good enough to be shortlisted. But it was. So, I finished the story, which is based on my niece and goddaughter, Lottie. She is the first child I have ever truly loved
and the kindest little girl that I know. I think stories are one of the best gifts we can give to children. The Pumpkin Project is my gift to Lottie, Nell and William. I hope that, one day, they might read it to their own children and think of me.
Lorraine Kelly said, ‘It was really difficult to choose a winner as the standard of writing was so high but all the judges felt that Katie Smith's story, The Pumpkin Project, stood out. It's a fantastic story - really imaginative and I can't wait to see the finished book!’
Nadiya Hussain comments, ‘I loved being a judge for this competition. The final three stories blew me away with their imagination! Katie’s writing stood out for us all though and I can’t wait to read the finished book with my children.’
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