The Portico Sadie Massey Awards
for Young Readers & Writers aged 7 - 18
“Reading and writing cannot be separated. Reading is breathing in; writing is breathing out.”
Pam Allyn (leading literacy expert)
Group photo at the PSMAwards Presentation Event 2024
About
Established in 2015, the Portico Sadie Massey Awards (PSM Awards) aims to encourage a life-long love of reading and writing in young people from all backgrounds.
The Awards are named after Glasgow-born Sadie Massey and her desire to spread a love of reading and writing.
· * Reading and Writing Competitions: Reviews of any book and short stories set in the North of England – Open to all schools and young people aged 7 – 18 years: Free to enter
· * Art of the Book Award: Create a book using art & words to tell your story – Open to Pupil Referral Units and Schools and departments with Special Educational Needs in Greater Manchester aged 7 - 19 years: Free to enter
· * Creative writing workshops: Inspired by and unique to the Portico Library: Available to schools & centres in Greater Manchester. See more information on workshops and educators plus resources and videos
Find out more information see below…
or contact psma@theportico.org.uk
The PSMAwards Competitions
We run 3 competitions:
Short Story Competition - opens Monday 14 October 2024, closes Friday 21 March 2025
Open to all 7 - 18-year-olds
Book Revew Competition - opens Monday 14 October 2024, closes Friday 21 March 2025
Open to all 7 - 18-year-olds
Art of the Book Award - opens Monday 1 November 2024, closes Friday 14 February 2025
Open to Pupil Referral Units & schools and departments with Special Educational Needs in Greater Manchester.
‘There aren’t many competitions that are inclusive and accessible for all learners, and so we really appreciate it!’
Alanna Cryer, Phase Leader, Inscape House School
The information you share with us will not go any further. We will use it to process the entries and collect data that can help us promote the awards to new audiences. All the information will be held in accordance with data protection guidelines.
Meet the 2025 judges
Please click then hover over each photograph for more details
Meet the 2025 First Round Readers
Please click then hover over each photograph for more details
We’re building a list of great titles by northern based writers and illustrators who are associated with the awards. You might like to investigate their books!
7 - 18 years +
The PSMAwards Presentation Evening 2023!
‘what a brilliant celebration of writing!’
‘It was fantastic and the winners were made to feel really special thank you. My son is desperate to enter next year now!’
Thursday, 15th of June 2023 at the Portico Library.
The competition year culminates in an event of celebration, not only of reading and writing, but of the students whose short stories and book reviews were deemed the best in their category. Out of 506 entries, spread fairly evenly between short stories and book reviews, there were 9 winners, 8 highly commended and 5 awarded a special mention. Entries came from Madrid to Belfast, Newcastle to Brighton and many places in-between.
The PSMAwards Presentation Evening 2022!
Thursday, 23rd of June 2022 at the Portico Library.
After two years of online celebrations, it was so good to be back in the library and greet students and their guests in person.
MC - Martin Griffin
http://www.martingriffinbooks.com/
Special Guest, author Clare Povey The Unexpected Tale of the Bad Brothers.
Judges, Ayesha Ansari-Choudhury, Ella Otomewo and Hallie Fletcher
Photographs by https://www.lucyphotography.com/
The Art of the Book Award Presentation event 2022!
See the 2023 presentation event under the News section
‘There aren’t many competitions that are inclusive and accessible for all learners, and so we really appreciate it!’
Alanna Cryer, Phase Leader, Inscape House School
Friday, 8th of July 2022 at Manchester’s Central Library, Performance Space
Students and teachers came from Inscape House School, Manchester Hospital School’s Galaxy House, Manchester Secondary Pupil Referral Unit, Mersey Valley Centre and Piper Hill Post 16 Department. It was wonderful to see everyone and celebrate the stories and books made. The range of creative story telling and book making was outstanding, and we watched a selection of these, from videos, photographs, powerpoints plus a wikipedia entry!
Ruby from Manchester Secondary PRU said: 'She was not going to come in but she was glad she made it in. The prizes made her day.'
Philippa, a teacher at Manchester Hospital School said: ‘it really is wonderful to see Maddie looking so proud.’
MC - Reece Williams: http://www.reeceiwilliams.com/
Judge - Oliver East: https://olivereast.art/
All photos by Lucy Cartwright Photography: https://www.lucyphotography.com/
Thank you to our supporters
Pathways into Publishing
12 & 13 June 2021
The programme of events is still available to view! Part of the Manchester City of Literature Festival of Libraries.
Aimed at young people aged fourteen and above.
At the Portico we are passionate about literature, sharing ideas, and growing a love of reading and writing from a young age. We are excited to be hosting 17 free online events for young people to showcase the pathways into publishing to get you excited about a potential career in publishing, book selling, writing, and illustration.
Made possible by funding from
Find out more about the Portico Sadie Massey Awards
Student reviews of books won in the competitions:
Ghosted: A Love Story by Jenn Ashworth, review by Phaedra Ritchie, Rivington and Blackrod High School: Read here
Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan, review by Phaedra Ritchie, Rivington and Blackrod High School: Read here
People with connections to the North of England and their stories
What’s your story?
