RUNNER UP

Who created it?

Stephanie, age 11

Biography

Hi, I’m Stephanie, I’m eleven-years-old and I like to play tennis, netball, and cricket. My other favourite hobbies are designing things and writing stories. I would like to become an inventor or a writer when I grow up. My younger brother loves reading books, so I practise by writing stories for him to read.

About my diary

I thought about Shakespeare’s life, and I tried to imagine myself in his era. I also thought carefully about what food they ate then, what they would write about, as I wanted my diary to be realistic. Even when I wasn’t 100% certain what it was like, I tried to think of something similar to what may have happened in Shakespeare’s time. I chose William Shakespeare as the main character, because I think he was the most interesting person to write about because he wrote many plays and sonnets. I included Joan (Shakespeare’s sister) instead of the other siblings because she was the only daughter to survive for quite a long time, so she feels very special and important. I know from my own life that it can be funny or a bit tense when a sister and brother talk together since you never know what’s going to happen, which is gripping for the reader.

 

 

 

Tell us how it felt to make your diary

At first, I was quite excited about making my diary because I had so many ideas appearing in my head. Then when I got going, I started to feel creative and a bit impatient as there were too many choices and I didn’t know which one I was going to pick. I kept adding and deleting things. Towards the middle, my diary began to flow, and I knew what I was doing. I also felt very Shakespearian. At the end, I was very happy and proud that I had finished my diary. After that I read it continuously since I really liked it.

What did you find most interesting about Shakespeare's life and family?

I found that the most interesting fact was about William Shakespeare mysteriously disappearing in 1585 from records for around seven years! Historians usually refer to this part of the writer’s life as ‘the lost years’. I wonder what he was up to! It’s almost as if from nowhere in 1592, Shakespeare suddenly appeared in London working as an actor and playwright. But he was being criticised by his jealous rivals, known as the ‘University Wits’, who made fun of his work. One writer, named Robert Greene, compared him to ‘an upstart crow’!

Listen to Stephanie reading William and Joan's diaries