Almost 6,000 children, aged between 5-13, submitted stories expressing their personal experiences, tales of empathy, learning and respect, building on the international conversation around Black Lives Matter. Originally devised by Chris Evans, the 500 Words competition has a rich 10-year heritage, giving children of all ethnicities and backgrounds a platform to express their imaginations and creativity through storytelling. The illustrious judging panel, chaired by Angellica Bell and Michael Underwood, also included Malorie Blackman OBE, Charlie Higson, Francesca Simon and Frank Cottrell-Boyce. All royalties will be matched by the publisher and donated to children's charities dedicated to ensuring young people of all backgrounds are given the best opportunities in life.
Title: 500 Words: A collection of short stories that reflect on the Black Lives Matter movement
Author: Various, Various
ISBN: 9781787419605
Binding:
Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd
Publication Date: 2020-09-03
Number of Pages: 224
Weight: 0.2901 kg
The empathy and observation within these stories is truly inspiring. These children's understanding of the world around us and the changes that need to be made, give me real hope for the generation of tomorrow * Nicole Kidman *
I loved this writing competition for providing young people with an opportunity to be creative, express themselves and help make sense of this extraordinary human experience we've all been through * Gugu Mbatha-Raw *
Our future feels in good hands with these phenomenal, powerful stories. I found them genuinely moving, thought provoking and they gave me such hope. What a wonderful and inspiring project to be involved in and what incredible future screen-writers, novelists, authors and warriors we have in waiting for the years to come. Such a joyful and important creative endeavour beautifully carried out * Amanda Abbington *
The standard and quality of the stories are awe-inspiring. They are poignant, moving and some extremely heartfelt. My congratulations to all the finalists. * Jim Broadbent *
The incredible talent on display in these stories is truly impressive. This genuinely moving and authentic writing is a much needed rallying cry for change * Mark Strong *
I was so moved by the range of skilful, moving stories featured in 500 Words: Black Lives Matter. These are some seriously talented young writers. * Colin Jackson *
In a time of such bleak uncertainty, these gifted and sensitive young writers give great hope for the future. I encourage them all to keep writing and using their talent * Rob Brydon *
Poignant, incredibly assured and deeply emotional story telling. Their brilliant response to why Black lives matter, is an exemplary model for empathy , compassion and understanding of the world we live in. I have been blown away by the quality and skill of these young writers. * Shobna Gulati *
I think the 500 words competition this year focusing on the Black lives matter movement is a wonderful way to get young children to learn and understand about the importance of equality. It allows children to be creative and describe their feelings and this is so important for their mental health' * Joe Wicks *
