KEY POINTS:
A love of literature has won an Auckland student a trip to see the haunts of some of the world's greatest authors.
Lucy Rogers, in year 11 at Diocesan School in Epsom, won an international short story competition based on the fantasy novel Conspiracy of Calaspia.
Lucy
says she never expected her story to be a winner, especially as the competition was international.
"When I sent it in, I didn't expect to hear from them because I had so much competition."
She is one of 10 winners chosen from all over the world to go on a literary tour around Britain in July.
It will include a visit to Cambridge, Bedford, Oxford, and Stratford-upon-Avon - the birthplace of William Shakespeare.
The Ellerslie resident says she's looking forward to seeing where some of her favourite authors once lived, and especially Cambridge and Oxford, where Lord of the Rings author J.R.R Tolkien and author of The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S Lewis, both taught literature.
"Tolkien is one of my favourites. I love the detail of his stories.
"With C.S. Lewis, I like his philosophy."
After the 10-day tour, Lucy will participate in the triennial Summer Institute of the C.S. Lewis Foundation to be held in Oxford and Cambridge over two weeks.
This year's theme is: The self and the search for meaning.
Lucy says her passion for writing grew out of her love of reading.
"Up until the age of eight, I hated writing. But I loved to read.
"When I'd finished reading all the books in the house, I started to write my own," she said.
"I wrote my first book when I was nine, called The Quest of Cabirides."
The 15-year-old was also a member of the youth model of United Nations, is involved in the Liggins Institute mentorship science programme, and recently won second place in the national junior chess championships.
Lucy says she'd like to see more young people entering writing competitions, and acknowledges the role of support from family and close friends in her success.
"It's not all about winning. I have to be humble because I know there will be a time when I'll fail. But my family and my best friend Philippa McLoughlin have always been there to support and discuss mywriting."
Lucy says a career as an author, lawyer or scientist are all possibilities for her.
"I might become a lawyer. "I'm on the debating team and arguing is always fun."