Barnsley author 'related to William Shakespeare' among Yorkshire names in BBC Young Writers' Award shortlist

For a pair of the region’s talented young authors have been recognised in a national competition.

Two teenagers from the region are among the five people who have been shortlisted for the 2022 BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University.

Elena Barham, from Barnsley, has been recognised for her 1940s-set story Little Acorns, written when she was just 16 years old, while Eshana Dasanjh, from Leeds, has also been picked for her short story Peach.

Whilst researching her ancestry, Elena discovered she could be a distant relative of William Shakespeare.

She won the 2020 Barnsley Writers’ competition – the first adult’s writing competition she had entered – and received generous support and encouragement from native judge Joanne Harris.

The idea for Little Acrons arrived to her “almost in its entirety”, she has said.

It follows an evacuee who goes to live with her gran by the sea disguises her gender by dressing up in her late father’s clothes. The story takes a dark turn when she realises that her friend’s perfect father is not all he seems.

Elena says: “Being shortlisted has been such a surreal experience.

"Writing is a very solitary pursuit usually and it can be difficult to gauge if a story works or not - so it has been lovely to see Little Acorns so warmly received.

"I have hypermobile EDS (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) meaning I have joint pain and chronic fatigue so the writing process is a difficult and strenuous one for me as much as I love the creative release, so being shortlisted means the world to me.

"I actually wrote ‘Little Acorns’ when I was sixteen and it explores some difficult themes (particularly classism and misogyny) seldom represented in young people's competitions and rarely in historical fiction and which I'm very passionate about. I'm incredibly grateful the BBC have given me a platform for this story and its issues - their audio production narrated by Sophie McShera portrayed it beautifully, I couldn't fault it!”

Asked about her relation to the Bard, she adds: “Yes, Shakespeare is my 1st cousin 13 times removed ancestry records would suggest.

"I've always been interested in ancestry so have been tracing for years to reach back to the 16th century but finding out was a lovely surprise - he's one of my favourite writers!

"I have always loved books and have written as long as I can remember - we often find scraps of stories even from when I was tiny - so perhaps it is hereditary.”

In Peach, meanwhile, Eshana wanted to explore social norms surrounding relationships and the pressures placed on young people.

Now in its eighth year, the BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University 2022 is open to all writers between the ages of 14 and 18. The latest shortlist was announced live on BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks on Sunday.

The winner will be announced live from the award ceremony at BBC Broadcasting House on Radio 4’s Front Row on Tuesday next week.

Each story, which are all under 1,000 words, are available to listen to on the BBC 1 website.

Sophie McShera, of Downton Abbey fame, reads the story by Elena, who is starting as an English literature student at the University of Sheffield this autumn.

Eshana’s work is read by actress Elizabeth Green. The Leeds writer will begin studying English Literature at the University of Cambridge this autumn.

The award’s chairwoman, Katie Thistleton, is joined on the judging panel by author and co-founder of Black Girls’ Book Club, Melissa Cummings-Quarry; poet Nikita Gill; YouTuber and digital creator, Joel Rochester; and Irish novelist and podcaster Caroline O’Donoghue.

Gill says: “These stories are tales so rich in imagery, lyrical words and with such unique plots.

"I feel honoured to have read through these truly exceptional stories and would like to commend all the writers for the way they have handled even the most difficult subject matter with nuance and great care.

"The quality of this year’s entries is beyond brilliant and I look forward to seeing these writers continue to thrive in their excellent work.”