Author: Ollie Cowan

Sefton is launching a story writing competition for its Borough of Culture of year with different people becoming the author each month!

Sefton Saga will be a living story run by Sefton Library Service which grows each month with the next instalment supplied by members of the public and judged by a panel.

Renowned story teller, John Kirk, will start the story off and will form part of the judging panel along with other library staff.

Adults aged 16 and above will be asked to submit a 1,000-word instalment, which must take the story further along its journey while leaving the ending open for the next instalment.

Children under 16 will be asked to submit a 500-word instalment along the same lines.

Each month contributors will write their instalment with the one that fits the story best being selected by the judging panel.

Sefton Council’s Borough of Culture sponsor, Cllr Trish Hardy, said: “The Sefton Saga story writing concept is one that can really engage with people’s creativity as part of our Borough of Culture year.

“The activity will run from February to October with both the adults and children’s version taking different twists and turns over the months.

“Different authors will be used, and people can follow the story and contribute if they wish. Popular story teller John Kirk will get the ball rolling and then it’s up to our communities to shape the rest of the stories.

“At the end, the completed story will be turned into a booklet with contributors listed as co-authors and will be made widely available across the borough.”

The Borough of Culture (BoC) title is awarded by the Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority to one of its six local authorities (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral) on a rotating, annual basis. Sefton has the prestigious honour for 2020.

Story entry forms can be collected from any local Sefton library with John Kirk’s first installment ready from Monday, January 27. Over time these will be updated to include the previous months story, ready for budding writers to continue the saga.

Alternatively, you can use an A4 paper version for a submission. Please remember to include your name, age, contact details – email/telephone number and entries can be emailed to library.service@sefton.gov.uk

The monthly winners will be announced on social media and displayed in libraries:
Facebook: @Sefton Libraries and @Sefton2020
Twitter @seftonlibraries and @Sefton2020
For more information on story teller, John Kirk, visit www.john-kirk.co.uk/ and www.mysefton.co.uk for information on Sefton’s Borough of Culture year.

Frank Hornby has steamed ahead, reinvented himself and engineered top spot in the Sefton Stories Project launched as part of Sefton’s Borough of Culture year!

The inventor from Maghull, topped the list of 10 stories synonymous with Sefton, by claiming 28% of the total vote. Southport social and welfare rights activist, Christiana Hartley, came second in the poll with 20% of all votes cast.

Late last year we launched the Sefton Stories Project, highlighting 10 stories that have shaped the borough’s history, and asked people to vote for them on www.mysefton.co.uk. Individuals championed each story and videos were released explaining more about the people on Sefton Council’s and the Borough of Culture’s social media channels (@Sefton2020).

There was also a blank box for people to highlight other stories they thought should be recognized during Sefton’s Borough of Culture year.

More than 850 votes were cast on the mysefton poll with thousands of other people watching, sharing and commenting on social media. People had until early January to cast their vote with the results now in.

Sefton Council’s Borough of Culture sponsor, Cllr Trish Hardy, said: “The focus of our Borough of Culture year is on stories, looking at two key elements, local history and the environment.

“Through the Sefton Stories Project, we are already planning to celebrate narrative around the Bootle Blitz, VE Day, the borough’s amazing coastline, and tourism across the whole of Sefton.

“But as Sefton has so many other different and unique stories and individuals behind it, we wanted the public to get involved and help shape our year through an online poll.

“The poll has now closed and what a fantastic response we have had! The top four stories include the inventor Frank Hornby, Christiana Hartley, Sefton’s maritime history and the Seaforth comedian Kenny Everett.

“People in their hundreds also gave us food for thought with other stories that they think we should celebrate during 2020.

“We will now go through all the results and comments and include them to our ever-growing events calendar for the rest of the year.

“Thank you so much to everyone that took the time to vote in this interesting project and don’t forget community groups can still apply for funding for Borough of Culture events they want to host in 2020.

All the details are on www.sefton.gov.uk/Sefton2020.”

The Borough of Culture (BoC) title is awarded by the Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority to one of its six local authorities (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral) on a rotating, annual basis.

Online Sefton Stories Project poll results:

Frank Hornby – 28%
Christiana Hartley – 20%
Kenny Everett – 9%
Sefton’s maritime history – 8%
James Dunwoody Bulloch – 4.8%
Albert Pierrepoint – 4.1%
FJ Hooper – 3.9%
Thomas Fresh – 2.8%
Dame Beryl Bainbridge – 2.7%
Sir Henry Segrave – 2.5%
Other – 14.2%