Prestigeuze NZ prijs voor Coco!

In de NZ Junior Writing Competition 2011 voor year 9 studenten in New Zealand heeft Coco de eerste prijs gewonnen voor haar inzending Rivalry.

De award wordt volgende week officieel uitgereikt op school, maar de principal vertelde het Coco al persoonlijk vandaag. Het komt met een cheque van 100 NZ$!

Deze competitie wordt jaarlijks georganiseerd door de New Zealand Association of Teachers in English en het is de enige landelijke schrijvers competitie in NZ voor high school studenten in jaar 9 en 10, en dit jaar was het de vierde keer dat het georganiseerd werd.

Volgens de officiele brief waren er vele inzendingen vooral onder year 9 students (Coco's jaar), met veel talent onder al die inzendingen. En iedereen die de 'long list' had gehaald, werd samen met de winnaars van harte gefeliciteerd.

Coco heeft deze short story geschreven als onderdeel van een workshop-serie dat werd gehouden op een paar zondagen op Karamu Highschool door Anna McKenzie (een NZ schrijfster die in Hawke's Bay woont), waar Coco en andere studenten voor waren uitgekozen in het kader van  Extension English (soort extra curriculum).



Hier een citaat uit het jury-rapport
(door Flear Beale, een bekende en award-winning NZ writer):

"For Year 9, Rivalry by Coco Kerckhoffs told a simple story of a race but the style conveyed the determination of the narrator to succeed. Sentence structure and language use worked to build tension. Excellent structure"




Hier Coco's short story:

Rivalry

As we drove slowly up the road, I felt dread building in the pit of my stomach. He told me not to make this a race; that he was going to take it easy. But we both knew that this was always going to be competitive.

I checked the time; 4:09pm.

The car came to a halt and we jumped out, mentally preparing ourselves for the feat we had yet to face. I walked faster to try to get ahead of him. As soon as I reached the path, I began to run.

I couldn’t hear him behind me any more. That meant I was going well, right?

I reached the clearing and slowed to a walk, needing to catch my breath. I’ve gone down, now I need to go up.   

He was catching up. Keep going. Don’t let him pass you. Not yet.

I kicked it up a notch. Walk faster. Faster.

He was only a few metres behind me now. My breathing was heavy and I doubted that I could keep up with him. No, no no no no no!

He was passing me now, and I felt defeated. Stay with him, keep right on his heels.

How simple he made it seem, climbing the steep cliffs with his powerful, enviable strides.

He had reached the top; out of sight.

Keep pushing. You can catch him. You will.

A few more steps.

Keep pushing. Come on.

My muscles relaxed as I reached the flat hilltop. It was liberating. I was tempted to stop, but I didn’t let myself. I was not going to let him win this one. I sighed and started the steep descent back down to the car park.

He was still about fifty metres ahead of me.  

Sheer determination drove me to run. I’m gonna catch you. I will defeat you.

Sweat had soaked my face and shirt and swipes of mud decorated my lower legs. I didn't care; all I could focus on was beating him.

I was getting closer to him now; right on his tail.

Yes.

His strides had slowed; his energy draining. I glanced over my shoulder as I passed him; his muscles strained as he tried to move faster, but he couldn’t keep up with me.

I reached the fork in the path and in a hasty decision I chose to go right. I knew he would take the left path; it was easier, but also longer.

I will beat you.

I stood leaning against the car as I watched him appear from the forest.

As we drove away I checked the time: 4:56pm.

‘You did well out there today,’ he said. I noted the small flicker of annoyance in his expression; the annoyance of losing to me, his younger sister.

‘So did you,’ I replied, letting a small smile curve the edges of my sweat-tinged lips.

Coco Kerckhoffs

ps.
Rivalry is een waar gebeurd verhaal! 
Het is een perfecte weergave van ons rondje rennen elke zondagmiddag door de bush naar de top van de Te Mata Peak en weer terug en Coco heeft de 'spanning' meer dan perfect beschreven en opgebouwd...
(en de broer ben ik...).