A STUDENT in Year 11 at St Benedict’s School, Ealing, has won first prize in the Arts Richmond Young Writers’ Festival.

James Hunter was one of 24 finalists selected from more than 600 entries. Their work was performed by actors at the Exchange Theatre in Twickenham on Sunday and James came first in the Year 10 and above age group.

He has been appointed Laureate for Richmond Borough and will be writing stage reviews and other articles for borough publications.

James wrote about a severe car accident he experienced as a young child, in his poem Car Crash.

“When you write about something like this, you give away part of yourself for scrutiny", he said, "but the actors took it and created something beautiful. They really did it justice.”

St Benedict’s headmaster Andrew Johnson said: "He is clearly a very talented young writer, who has written with great honesty, courage and sensitivity about something profoundly traumatic.”