Catherine writes the end of Marian’s story

University of Teesside English Studies graduate Catherine Flanigan is one of eight to have won the UK’s biggest writing competition. Catherine, 27, from Middlesbrough, won the ‘chick-lit’ category of the BBC 3’s ‘End of story’ competition, where aspiring authors wrote the conclusion to a 6,000 word short story.

Diverse novelists in eight categories included Sue Townsend, Faye Weldon and American crime writer Ed McBain. The competition generated 17,000 entries from across the UK. Catherine came top of 2,000 in her category, completing Marian Keyes’s short story, A Woman’s Right to Shoes. Marian Keyes is one of Ireland’s biggest selling authors, whose novels include Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married and Sushi for Beginners.

Catherine said: “I saw the advert for the competition on TV in May and decided to enter, although I didn’t think much would come of it. At that point I’d never written any stories, only poems when I was 14 and in a bad mood! And I hadn’t read any Marian Keyes, but now I love her novels, the thread of personal growth and triumph over adversity that runs through her work. I’d say the short story was a feminist version of Cinderella, and I wrote the final 1,000 words. I couldn’t have achieved this without my English degree; it opened my eyes to everything in literature.”

The story concerns Alice, a woman with odd sized-feet who advertises for someone with opposite feet, so they can swap shoes. However, the respondent, Hayley, goes on to steal Alice’s boyfriend.

Catherine received a huge surprise in August, as her entry made the final ten, and judged by the author herself in a Glasgow hotel. In front of BBC cameras, Catherine was told she was in the final six, then three, and finally declared the winner by Marian Keyes. Catherine said: “I started to cry but managed to stop myself! Marian was really lovely and down to earth. She pointed out that we even look similar! Marian said she’d picked mine as it was written in exactly her style and liked the ending I wrote for Alice.”

The author also gave Catherine two extra special prizes. All winners had their entries published in an End of Story compilation, which is now available in some local libraries, and saw their work broadcast on BBC3 in November, with actors portraying some sections. However, Marian Keyes also gave Catherine a free lap top and set up a meeting in London with her agent, Jonathan Lloyd of Curtis Brown.

Catherine was due to meet the agent in early December and said: “I’m now classed as a published author so want to make the most of this meeting. I’ve written three chapters of a novel, which starts in Middlesbrough, along with character synopses. I’ll be showing all these to Jonathan Lloyd. Who knows, in ten years time, I may be a novelist!

“My sister Carolyn organised a party in the pub the night BBC3 screened the story. She and my Dad Mick were very proud. It was strange watching it, I was very aware of my accent!”

Catherine combines her writing with a full-time post as a link worker in Stockton, working with adults who have mental health difficulties. At weekends she sings in North-East clubs as part of a pop trio, ‘Step it up.’ To read Catherine’s winning story go to the Internet at www.bbc.co.uk/endofstory, or ask if your local library has the BBC compilation.

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