What was the inspiration behind your piece?
My piece was inspired by the growing political uncertainty that we face in the UK today. I wanted to explore the idea of someone falling through the safety net that is provided by the UK’s welfare state whilst encompassing other futuristic ideas into the piece. The looming election and Brexit deadlines helped me to think about a divided, judgemental, poorly resourced, post-Brexit society, but I also wanted to explore the idea of China’s social credit score (a system where people are awarded a score depending on their behaviour). Overall, I was inspired by current news stories, which helped me to create a futuristic world that could still be understood by today’s audience.
Why did you pick the form you did?
I chose to write a short story in order to display my answer as I thought that following a single character’s struggle and frustration would be the most effective way to communicate my ideas to the reader within the tight word limit. As well as writing a story to be read for enjoyment, I also wanted to subtly highlight that the individualist society that we live in has, and will always have, flaws. I felt like this message was best conveyed in the form of a story.
Why do you write?
I started writing in order to express my ideas in a form that could be communicated to, and shared with, others, whether it was a poem or short story. More recently, I have started to write in order to articulate and share my views (whether they are about politics or major issues in the world right now).
What's your advice to fellow young writers?
I would say that you should write about issues that you are passionate about as you will find it a lot easier to express your emotions through your writing if you are writing about something you actually care about. Also, I would encourage others to try different styles of writing (i.e poems, plays etc.), so that they can find a style they really enjoy.
Who are your influences?
A piece of writing/poem/novel/article film that has influenced me is George Orwell’s 1984. It definitely fuelled my passion for more dystopian and futuristic pieces of writing and also provoked me into questioning our society and whether the decisions our society makes are morally correct.
You can read Rosie's entry to the Orwell Youth Prize, 'Care in the Community', right here on Voice.
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