The Beaufort Primary School pupil has been chosen as the winner of the Derby Book Festival’s ‘flash fiction’ competition, which invited entrants to write a 50-word story on the theme of ‘voices’.
Being announced as the winner has given Logan a huge boost, but writing accomplishments are not new to the Minecraft-loving boy, who has already independently published his own book, which is available on Amazon.
“I’ve always written stories but never published one, and I thought maybe I could try, so my mum helped and we published my first book,” said Logan, who also enlisted the help of his dad to design the front cover.
The book, Apollo’s Adventures – The Scarlet Stone, is set on Mars and features a robot, Rob Nine. Logan, who has always enjoyed learning about space, is already writing a sequel based around the main character’s adventures.
Through creative writing, Logan says he has increased his vocabulary and improved his spelling.
“I type the books, but if I can’t think of a good word that I need, I ask my mum for help, or if I need help spelling something,” he said.
For the flash fiction competition, Logan wrote a story inspired by his cousin, with whom he has enjoyed holidays to the beaches of Cornwall.
“My cousin likes collecting things on holiday when we go to the beach in Cornwall, and it was about collecting seashells and the voices you hear when you hold a shell to your ear,” explained Logan.
As a result of the win, Logan received a £50 voucher to spend at Waterstones – and he has already spent it on a haul of books – including Charlotte’s Web, which is a book he had wanted and has been studying at school.
Unsurprisingly, Logan loves to read about space and science. Other authors who have inspired him include Dav Pilkey, author of the Dog Man books and Captain Underpants, as well as David Walliams, particularly his Spaceboy book.
He is also hoping to share his love of reading with others and help those who don’t enjoy it as much as he does.
“I’m writing a series of short stories for people who don’t like reading. They are all on different themes, but they are shorter for people who don’t like to sit down and read lots of writing.”
His mum, Mia, said: “Since starting at Beaufort in the Early Years Foundation Stage, Logan has had a love of reading that has been encouraged and supported at school. It is great that Beaufort Primary School encourage the children to enter the Derby Book Festival competition and that they celebrate all the children's achievements. He wants to be inclusive as a writer so all children can access reading. As a family, we are so proud of him and everything he has achieved.”
Kate Beecroft, headteacher of Beaufort Primary School, which is part of the Odyssey Collaborative Trust, said she was incredibly proud of Logan and the writing of her school’s pupils.
“Last year, we had a pupil who was a runner-up in the competition, and this year we have a winner! It really is an amazing achievement, as there were 487 entrants across five categories, with Logan as the winner of the Under 11s category. Logan’s love of reading and writing is infectious, and the fact he is using his passion to help others enjoy reading is an inspiration. Well done, Logan!”