TALENTED young writers from Colindale Primary School are preparing to have their work published.

Seven pupils from the school, in Clovelly Avenue, have won a competition to have their short stories published in a book called the Time Travelling Tales – History and Beyond.

Organised by the Young Writers organisation, the book will be sent to the British Library and other libraries across the UK.

Cash prizes of up to £1,000 will also be awarded to the best entries.

Francesca Taylor, a Year 5 teacher who runs a club at the school for gifted writers, helped organise the entries.

She said: “This is the first time anyone in our school is going to be published. It is a real achievement. It shows they are being recognised for having this huge talent at such a young age, and it is setting them up for their future.

“Sometimes they do not get recognised, so giving them this opportunity is really important.”

Mrs Taylor said it was important to instil a love of reading and writing in children at a young age.

She added: “It is so important because they have got this gift to write creatively, and it is so nice for them to do it outside of a lesson. They like writing for a purpose. They get a thrill from others reading their work, and that is what makes it special.”