We would like to say a very big thank you to everyone who entered our Memoir Writing Competition. We were awestruck by your entries, the experiences and lives you’ve lived, enjoyed, survived, and captured in words. Thank you for trusting us with your stories and chapters.
It has been very difficult to choose a winner, so much so, that the judges have chosen TWO winners!
We are thrilled to announce that Catherine Williams and Julian Allen have won, and their memoirs will be published by Pen & Sword books – congratulations to both!
Catherine’s book is about her great uncle Raymond, and Julian’s book is about his tour in Afghanistan.
A few words from our brilliant winners:
“I had written a set of emails describing my tour in Afghanistan (back in 2010) which I sent to friends and family – and was surprised by how well they were received. So, when I saw the Reading Force memoir competition, I decided to pull them out and cobble something together to enter. I then promptly forgot about it and was amazed to receive the call that I had won. I took the call whist driving to Scotland for the Christmas holidays – what a wonderful Christmas present to receive.”
Julian Allen – author of Emails from Helmand
“I am absolutely thrilled and so excited to have won the 2025 Reading Force memoir competition. I never expected that what started out as a personal research project about my great uncle, for a work presentation, would turn into the opportunity to write and publish a book.
My great uncle, Raymond Darrall was a Prisoner of War in Sumatra where he endured extreme suffering and hardship in the camps at the hands of his Japanese captors. Raymond’s story deserves to be told, and his memory kept alive in order to give a voice to the generation of young men whose similar stories are unheard and unknown. Their service must not be forgotten, and we honour them by remembering and realising their experiences in fighting for justice and peace.
I was encouraged to enter the memoir competition by a colleague. I was planning to find out more about my personal family history and so entering the competition gave me the impetus and focus for my ideas as well as the opportunity to think about the complete story that I wanted to tell all within a set deadline. You never know what opportunities could be open to you if you take that leap.”
Catherine Williams – author of Keep Smiling, Love Ray
Huge appreciation and thanks go to our competition sponsor, Bolt Burdon Kemp, who made this competition possible, and to Pen & Sword books who have been brilliant and bold to work with.
Watch this space for when the books are published!
