FOUR students from Palmer’s College are to have their take on famous tales published in a book after winning a national writing competition.

The works of Joshua Nagle and Jacey Ritchie both 18 and from Basildon and 17-year-old Thomas Hahn and 18-year-old Annabel Vinton-Horsley, from Grays were selected for publication in A Twist in the Tale: Toil and Trouble - a book showcasing the competition’s best entries.

Keeping within a strict word-count, participants had to retell a familiar tale and add their own twist. Joshua retold the myth of Perseus, making him the victim rather than the victor, while all the students were inspired by the work of British novellist Angela Carter.

Neil Allan, head of English at Palmer’s College, said: “The students succeeded in making very familiar tales seem strange and unsettling, confounding their readers’ expectations. The publication of their stories is a fitting tribute to their creative writing skills, and it is an achievement of which they can be proud.”