Rith Narla may only be in Year 10 but he is already making his mark.

The Bolton School boy has been highly commended in the Portico Sadie Massey Awards.

Founded in 2015, this prestigious prize aims to promote Northern writing and encourage a life-long love of reading and writing in young people from all backgrounds.

Rith's short story ' A Conversation Home' was highly commended by this year's judges, who read nearly 700 entries.

A Conversation Home follows a character narrator who has migrated to Bolton and overcomes his struggles to settle in the community through the compassion of a colleague. 

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English Teacher Helen Brandon said: “Congratulations to Rith on his fantastic achievement and well done to the other boys in Year 10 who took part in crafting their own stories and received goody bags to celebrate their efforts.”

One of Manchester’s longest-running institutions, the Portico is a subscription library and newsroom whose historic collection of over 25,000 books and archives spans over 450 years.

The Portico Library was established by 400 founding subscribers in 1806, during Manchester’s emergence as ‘the first modern city’.

Early readers and associates included word-famous authors, future Prime Ministers, leading scientists and educators.

The Portico is now a charity that plays a central role in Manchester’s cultural life and literary heritage.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on X @chloewjourno.