Teacher Kieran Larwood, who has won a major literary prize for his first children’s novel. Picture by Robin Crossley.
A DREAM to become a professional writer may soon become a reality for a reception class teacher after he won a prestigious national children’s fiction competition.
Kieran Larwood, of Hawthorn Meadows, East Cowes, is still pinching himself after he won The Times and Chickenhouse prize with his gruesomely funny story about a monkey boy, a hairy girl and a giant.
The 37 year old, a reception class teacher at Wroxall Primary School, beat off competition from more than 2,000 entries to win over the judges with his children’s novel, Plumpscuttle’s Peculiars.
The father-of-two, who has dreamt of being a professional writer for ten years, was the first male winner of the competition.
Kieran’s novel is about a girl called Sheba, who is sold to Plumpscuttle, the owner of a Victorian freak show in London. When Plumpscuttle sleeps, the freaks, known as Peculiars, act as detectives in a city plagued by mysteries, such as the disappearance of mud-lark children on the shores of the Thames.
Kieran, inspired by horror and fantasy writers, such as H.P. Lovecraft, films like X-Men and Victorian London, has been writing seriously but without literary success for the past ten years — until now.
His prize is a publishing contract with Chickenhouse. He believes the novel could be in the bookshops this time next year.
Kieran said: "I can’t believe it — it’s incredible. It was a long, nervy month waiting to see if I’d won once I was short-listed.
"I love horror and fantasy and the idea of a child in a freak show came to me when I was trying to write a children’s sci-fi novel. One day, everything just fell into place. I live near Osborne House, which is very helpful for getting a feel of the period.
"For me to become a full-time writer depends on how my book will sell."
Reporter: jonm@iwcpmail.co.uk