Joseph's prize-winning essay brings the Galapagos Islands to life

A BUDDING young writer and keen traveller has won praise for his essay bringing a trip to the Galapagos Islands to life.

Pupils in 2C were tasked with researching a country and writing about it with the finished pieces judged by

local travel writer and author Jolyon Braime.

Praising the high standard of all the entries, which included some lovely lyrical writing Mr Braime said it was particularly difficult to pick a winner, but chose Joseph Goddard’s essay for its observational and sensory nature: “Children in the port feeding breadcrumbs to the fish, the honking of horns on a busy street, or the soothing relief of a cool drink of water.

“The writer has also nailed a particular trick of travel writing – that's to say, sneakily offering your reader interesting facts without sounding like you're sicking up a Wikipedia page.

“Here, information about Ecuadorian peak temperatures and numbers of Galapagos tortoises left in the wild were skilfully worked into a story that never lost its sense of forward motion.”

The 13-year-old, from North Stainley, whose favourite authors are Michael Grant and JRR Tolkien, enjoys creative writing and has previously written about his personal experience of travelling in Australia.

“I was inspired to choose the Galapagos Islands for this essay because it is a place that has always been on my bucket list, because of its unique species and scenery."

A keen footballer and cricketer, he added: “My writing is usually inspired from travelling, experiencing different cultures first hand. I am also inspired from the natural beauty of the world which can be seen in my writing.”

Mr Braime added: “Thanks for inviting me to judge your Year 8 travel writing essays. There was some lovely lyrical writing in there, and I really enjoyed the different ways people had chosen to recount their experiences.

“A theme that came up a few times was the way that travel can help you capture a moment in your wider life – as an individual or a family – and I think that's so true. Looking back on trips from your past, the place you visited is often inseparable from the version of yourself you were at the time, and I was impressed to see students trying to articulate that idea.

I always think small details help so much with creating a sense of place, so it was wonderful to see your writers searching for those little bits of colour. The fruity smell of discarded chewing gum on a French train, the rainbow colours of macaws, or the way one writer described lilies sitting on still water as if they couldn't bear to disrupt the peace.”

*Read Joseph's essay, below: