Northwich BBC 500 Words finalist called to Buckingham Palace

Dylan Ellis’ original tale, My Name Is Jack, wowed judges, including Sir Lenny Henry, at the annual 500 Words short story contest. 

The Charles Darwin Academy pupil made it into the final 50, whittled down from 44,000 entries.

The seven-year-old travelled down to London on Tuesday, February 25 for the award ceremony held in the state ballroom of Buckingham Palace, hosted by Queen Camilla herself.

My Name Is Jack was placed third in the five-to-seven age category, and Dylan won the height of an average seven-year-old in books, an framed illustration of his story from a professional illustrator, a book token, and a finalists' medal handed to him personally by Queen Camilla.

“We’re really extremely proud of him,” said mum, Georgie Main.

"We honestly didn't know he'd been placed third until we for there." 

The ceremony itself took place on Wednesday, February 26, and was aired on BBC One on World Book Day, Thursday, March 6.

Dylan's short story, My Name Is Jack, was placed in the top 50 from 44,000 by celebrity reader judges (Image: Georgie Main) The inspiration for Dylan’s story springs form his family's holiday caravan in Criccieth, North Wales, where there’s the grave of a former slave, Jack Ystymilyn, in the local church.

Jack died in 1791, aged 46, after being brought to Wales on a slave ship from West Africa when he was just boy in the late 1740s.

Dylan’s story reimagines his journey, including how he must have felt, before it jumps forward almost 300 years in time when a young narrator visits the grave with his grandmother and reflects on Jack’s experience.

Dylan getting the red carpet, quite literally, as an honoured guest at Buckingham Palace (Image: Georgie Main) George added: “When we heard about this competition, Dylan decided he wanted to do a story based on young Jack Ystymilyn’s life.

“He already knew a lot about Jack, but we took him to the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool to he could learn about the slave trade more generally.

“The BBC arranged everything for us. We travelled down by train on the Tuesday afternoon, and stayed in an hotel in Kensington.

“A coach picked us up at the hotel to take us to the palace.

“It was an amazing experience to walk through the gates of Buckingham Palace when every other time we’ve visited, we’ve only looked through the railings.

“We went under an archway into a courtyard and there was a big band playing.

Nothing says 'great author in the making' quite like a pair of of fine Chelsea boots (Image: Georgie Main) “There was a red carpet and lots of staff everywhere. They told us about all the protocols.

“The floor manager told us ‘when I clap, you clap’, which was funny.

“Then after, we went for afternoon tea in another room off the ballroom.

“All the celebrity readers were all in there with us, and the Queen herself.

“It was all very fancy.  

“The celebs were circulating, but then the press took over a bit, trying to get interviews.

Dylan was inspired by the grave of Jack Ystymilyn, a West African slave buried in St Cynhaearns's Churh near Creccieth (Image: Georgie Main) "Now we’ve just got to figure out where we’re going to put all the books.”

Dylan’s head teacher, Marriane Bennet, said all the staff and pupils at Charles Darwin are ‘so proud’ of his rare achievement.

She said: “When he first told us he was a finalist and had been invited to Buckingham Palace, everyone at school was hugely excited for him. 

“To go from 44,000 entries to the top 50 was an incredible achievement in itself, but to win the bronze prize blew us all away.

“We shared his fantastic story as part of our World Book Day celebrations.

“All our children and staff think we have a future author in our midst.

“Dylan has inspired lots of his friends throughout the school to have a go at writing their own short stories which is fantastic. 

“Well done Dylan!”