Sixteen aspiring change-makers, aged 9-14, have had their persuasive essays shortlisted to win an inspiring competition hosted by the stage musical Wicked, as part of its Wicked Active Learning cultural learning programme, and the National Literacy Trust.

Schools across the Midlands are well- represented with shortlisted entries from change makers from Sandwell and Birmingham through to the final sixteen.

The overall winners of the Wicked Writers: Be The Change competition will be awarded a class trip to see Wicked in London, as well as an in-person workshop with award-winning author of the High-Rise Mystery series and The Good Turn, Sharna Jackson.

Taking inspiration from the award-winning musical’s protagonist, ‘Elphaba’, students entered the competition by writing about a cause important to them, raising awareness and support to fight social injustice. From climate change to clean water, food banks to football, children up and down the UK have made their voices heard about the things they would like to change for the better in our society.

In the Midlands, the shortlist include entries from: Faith Jarvis, age 12, from St Michael's C of E High School, who wrote about ocean pollution, and its effect on marine animals and the wider environment, Aleesa Yasmin, 10, from Tipton Green Junior School in Sandwell, who advocated for the endangered species which are impacted by palm oil production, and Japmeh Gujral, 11, from Hallfield School in Birmingham, whose compassionate essay focused on the need for kindness towards people, animals and the environment.

All the entries made good use of some fantastic writing techniques to demonstrate their passion for change, speaking directly to the judges, and using emotive language, repetition, and alliteration to make their point. The young writers also illustrated their arguments with informative statistics around their chosen subjects, as well as encouraging the judges to question their own beliefs, challenging stereotypes and the status quo.

For more information, visit: literacytrust.org.uk/wicked-writers