The Independent / Scholastic Story of the Year: One year on: a winner's tale

CAROLINE PITCHER: After my story was published in the Independent I heard from lots of people - both children and adults - who liked the story. The publisher, Scholastic, now has three books of mine, and I'm waiting to hear whether they'll publish them.

Another direct result of the prize is that I've been asked to do a guest reading in October at a creative writing week on children's writing. Otherwise I've been working on texts to picture-books, illustrated by Jackie Morris. Our book Jo's Storm is coming out with Bodley Head in September. We've another one, called The Snow Whale, that we hope will be published by Frances Lincoln. I'm also working on an adult novel.

The main thing about the prize was that it gave my confidence such a boost. And it made a lot of adults read a child's story, which they don't normally do. Good children's writing should work on any level. I spent most of the pounds 2,000 prize on a computer and word-processor, and put the rest towards a holiday in May.

'Kevin the Blue', Caroline Pitcher's winning story, will be broadcast on Radio 5 next Wednesday at 7.15pm.

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