College follows Paston Letters tradition

PASTON is a north Norfolk name known all over the world for its literary associations - and a new student publication aims to continue the tradition.

A first edition of The Paston Letters magazine is packed with the cream of teenage creative writing talent in the form of reviews, fiction and poetry.

The magazine takes its name from the famous medieval correspondence of the Paston family between 1422 and 1509.

A later descendant, Sir William Paston, founded a school in North Walsham, now known as Paston College.

And the modern-day anthology has grown out of a popular creative writing group run by author Hayley Tomlinson, who joined Paston College as an English teacher last September.

“When I started the group

I was overwhelmed at the response,” said Mrs Tomlinson.

“Creative writing is not an obvious choice for sixth- formers to give up their time for, but they've been a really lovely and loyal group.”

As well as showcasing the best of the Paston students' work, the magazine also includes poems by Stalham High School pupils Sammi-Lu Chadwick and Andrew Dexter, and a short story by Tim Gaudet, 15, from Broadland High, at Hoveton.

Tim's tale-with a-twist, set in a doctor's study, was chosen from work submitted by five high schools as the winner of the Paston Letters writing competition prize, earning him a £30 book token.

Mrs Tomlinson, who writes under the name Hayley Long, has had two books published. Her latest, Vinyl Demand, is in the Quick Reads series, promoted by the government's Basic Skills Agency, and is aimed at encouraging reluctant readers.

And she has just signed a deal with publishers Pan Macmillan for a series of “funny and sad” stories aimed at 12 to 14-year-olds about a 15-year-old heroine called Lottie Biggs.