Lewes FC’s The Rooker Prize awarded to science teacher and club supporter

Ronnie came to the Dripping Pan last Sunday to watch the Rooks take on Durham in Lewes FC’s final home game of the season, and was awarded her trophy at half-time by Guy Pratt from The Rockonteurs, who co-sponsored this year’s prize alongside top publishers Hachette UK.

Hendra is a science teacher and “massive women's football fan”. She was inspired to sign up as a Lewes FC owner after seeing a TV piece about the club and our gender equality work.

After becoming an owner, Ronnie saw that the club’s annual writing competition - The Rooker Prize - was open for entries, and had the idea of a tiny dragon living in a toaster. She then “wrote it on the train”!

Ronnie, who plays football, but has neither written before nor won any awards, says, in true footballer fashion, that she's “over the moon” to have scooped the trophy. The judges loved the piece calling it “brilliant”, “refreshing” and “charming”... and they are now all thoroughly checking their toasters.

The winner has elected for her £250 charity winnings to go to the mental health charity Mind, for whom she is also running a half marathon in October this year. She's looking forward to the other prize too - a visit to Hachette UK where she'll be paired with an editor to discuss 'The Teeny Tiny Toaster Dragon'.

Read Ronnie's winning piece on the Lewes FC website along with the judges' other commended entries soon.

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