Whanganui High School student wows judges with short story

Jenna Mareikura-Lacy is having her short story The Day I Grew A Horn published as part of the New Zealand Young Writers Competition. Photo / Bevan Conley

A Whanganui High School student has impressed the judges with her creative mind in the New Zealand Secondary School Writing Competition.

Fourteen-year-old Jenna Mareikura-Lacy not only became a finalist in the competition but has had her short story, titled The day I grew a horn, accepted for publication by Write Off Line 2019.

Her story will feature alongside other short stories that fitted within the competition topic of Something strange happened in Rotorua.

"It's pretty cool," she said.

Her interest in the competition was sparked when she saw an advertisement in the school notices and after giving her story to the Head of English, Vicki Kasner, it went to America where it was judged by the leading director of the competition.

Mareikura-Lacy says her story is about a young girl based in Rotorua and her journey of self-acceptance.

"My character one day wakes up with a horn and thinks it's pretty cool and her sister Maka likes it as well and calls her a unicorn," she said.

With her love for English and having work published, the Year 10 student has been given a boost to enter more writing competitions in the future.

Cullinane College student, Victoria Arrowsmith also achieved a highly commended award in the competition for her story Waahine Toa.