Nathan-Lee McQuoid from The Gallaun in Downpatrick is now recorded in The British Library after being included in a UK-wide anthology.
Pearl McQuoid, proud mother of Nathan-Lee (13) who is a pupil of St Colmcille High School in Crossgar, is over the moon with her son’s creative writing effort being included in a UK-wide anthology.
The Downpatrick boy has excelled in a Young Writers competition helps pupils to become more “confident and passionate writers”. The Young Writers platform concentrates on children’s creative writing and poetry, and in their congratulatory letter, they said Nathan-Lee won through on his “saga, a story in just 100 words, inspired by the crime and mystery genre. Young Writers aims to encourage kids to search for an outlet for their imagination and for those searching for recognition.”
The anthology called ‘Unsolved – UK Tales‘ has been deposited in the British Library national archive so Nathan-Lee has got his name down in print for generations to come! There were thousands of entries nationally and he has shone through to be one of the most outstanding contributors for the yearly anthology!
Delighted with his writing success, Nathan-Lee said: “The saga was called ‘The Chase’. It is about a bounty hunter who is framed for a murder by a crime lord but it is just one episode… it is ‘to be continued’,” smiled Nathan-Lee.
He added: “I’ve also written a short piece called ‘The Prized Calf‘ about a former who suspects his prize cow has had a calf and he sets out to find it. It’s a story with a happy ending. I enjoy writing and plan to do more in the future.
“My teachers and classroom assistant at St Colmcille’s High School in Crossgar have been very helpful in preparing me for the Young Writers competition. For me to be included in the anthology is great for the school too.
“At school I enjoy technology and science and one day I’d like to be an engineer. I would have to go to university to do this. My next step after I do my GCSEs in my fifth year in Crossgar and then hopefully get to St Patrick’s Grammar School in Downpatrick and take my A-Levels there.
“I’d also like to go to a summer camp in the United States and it would be just a dream to visit NASA. I’ve already visited the Armagh Planetarium and it was just incredible. I’d love to go back there this year again.”
Nathan-Lee’s mum, Pearl, said: “He is in his second year at St Colmcille’s High School, Crossgar, and is very happy there. He has a classroom assistant who he really gets on well with. She seems to understand his issues with autism and helps him get through his class lessons. He attends all his lessons but it was agreed he would drop Spanish and French.
“He enjoys playing at home with his X-Box and Mindcraft and loves Lego… he builds complex planes and cars and is fascinated by robots. His plan to be an engineer when his leaves school seems to be on track.
“St Colmcille’s High School has been very supportive with him especially through lockdown where he started back two days a week in January which really helped him maintain a continuity is his education.
“I’m delighted that he can now get the bus home to Downpatrick himself now which is great. I’m so proud of him writing this piece for Young Writers. I know it means so much to him and will certainly boost his confidence further. I just cried when I read the letter. I’m so proud.”
The anthology will be released on 11th June 2021. Check out the Young Writers website at:
https://www.youngwriters.co.uk/
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