Annaduff schoolgirl wins literary award at Listowel Writers’ Week
Nine-year-old Anika Kangley, who divides her time between Annaduff and Liverpool in the UK, received an award in the children’s under-12 short story category at the long-running literary festival, widely regarded as Ireland’s oldest writers’ festival.
A young girl with links to Annaduff, County Leitrim, has been recognised for her writing talent at this year’s Listowel Writers’ Week.
Nine-year-old Anika Kangley, who divides her time between Annaduff and Liverpool in the UK, received an award in the children’s under-12 short story category at the long-running literary festival, widely regarded as Ireland’s oldest writers’ festival.
Her winning entry, Anika the Mermaid, impressed judges in a competition that attracts young writers from across Ireland and further afield.
Running for over 50 years, Listowel Writers’ Week is regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest literary and arts festivals. Lovers of the written and spoken word can join writers, artists and poets in the beautiful town of Listowel, County Kerry, for five days of talks, walks and performances.
Anika was only about four when she first started showing an interest in writing and always showed a great love for drawing as well.
He added that Anika first learned about the competition through her school in Liverpool.
The story Anika the Mermaid follows a young mermaid named Aika and her friend Moby, a large blue whale, as they attempt to outwit a character known as Witchy Witch.
In addition to her success at Listowel Writers’ Week, Anika previously received recognition in a BBC children’s writing competition, where her work was reportedly selected among 50 winners from a large number of entries and published in the anthology Story Shakers – Fantastic Fiction. (Was that in 2022? it says that on the award?)
Beyond writing, Anika is involved in a range of activities including Taekwon-Do, karate, Irish dancing, and music through a Liverpool-based Comhaltas group.