PC: Southwark News
Amal Badmus, a Year 10 student at St Saviour’s and St Olave’s Church of England School, was selected from nearly 950 young writers from 26 schools. A schoolgirl from Bermondsey has won a national competition that asked young writers to tell a story in just six words.
Catherine May, head teacher at St Saviour’s and St Olave’s Church of England School, said, “I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that Amal had won this competition” You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
Amal Badmus was crowned the winner of the national 2026 Six Word Story competition after her entry impressed the Penguin Random House judging panel. The Year 10 student from St Saviour’s and St Olave’s Church of England School was selected from nearly 950 young writers representing 26 different schools.
The competition is inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s famous six-word story, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn”, and encourages students to express their ideas through short pieces of writing, according to the Southwark News. Amal’s entry was praised for its impact and relevance to younger readers, while her school’s head teacher congratulated her on the achievement. Amal’s success placed her ahead of hundreds of other young participants in a national competition designed to test how effectively young writers can communicate ideas with very few words.