TWO creative writing groups are celebrating after scooping awards in a national competition.

Leigh and Atherton Writers have picked up the Denise Robertson Memorial Plate for their group anthology at the National Association of Writers’ Groups (NAWG) awards.

Tyldesley Creative Writers member Pat Starkey won the mini tale award while Joe Littlewood from the group finished in second place in both the ghost story and poem categories.

Phil Tomkins was second in the travel article section and Tyldesley’s anthology was highly commended.

The awards evening, which was held at the University of Warwick, featured award-winning romantic fiction writer Millie Johnson as the speaker.

Joint secretary from Leigh and Atherton Writers Hazel Wellings said: “It was quite a surprise to win first prize for the anthology.

"The anthology is a collection of stories and poems called Home is the Sailor and is dedicated to Kenny Mulhearn, who was a member of our group for 20 years and died a few years ago. He spent most of his life in the Royal Navy and he used to tell us all stories about things that happened when he was serving.

"It is the first anthology award we have won and we are delighted."

Hazel says the group, which meet at As in Eden CIC on Walmesey Road in Leigh on Mondays from 10am to 11.30am, are planning to finish another anthology in time for Christmas.

Tyldesley Creative Writers founder Mary Berry also expressed her happiness about her group's performance at the NAWGs.

She said: “We have been a member of NAWG for about 10 years but we had never entered any of its competitions. I encouraged our writers to enter and their achievements have been phenomenal. I am really proud of them. It has shown how talented they all are."

Mary's group meet at Tyldesley Library on Stanley Street on Tuesdays between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

Their anthology entry in the NAWGs, titled Remembrance of the Great War, was highly commended and has raised £500 for the Royal British Legion.