After hundreds of entries, we’re delighted to share that Mike Doodson, 30, has been crowned the winner of Amazon’s second annual Christmas writing competition with his story A Christmas Squirrel. In the search for a modern-day interpretation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Doodson received the prize of having his story illustrated by celebrated artist Ian Beck, a £2,000 Amazon.co.uk Gift Card, a top-of-the-range Fire tablet and a marketing campaign to support the launch of the book.
A Christmas Squirrel is a story about a grumpy, greedy squirrel who hoards piles of nuts, keeping everything for himself. After all, he worked for it. After visiting the three trees from which he gathers his nut supply, the squirrel learns a valuable lesson about generosity and redemption just before the Christmas woodland feast.
Doodson said: “I’m delighted that my interpretation of such an inspiring Christmas classic has been recognised, and I hope readers will enjoy my re-invented tale reminding us about the true meaning of Christmas.”
A new dad and marketing manager, Doodson always had the aspiration to become a writer, but never put pen to paper until this competition – deciding to enter in the hopes to publish his first story. He wrote the story for his new-born daughter in the hopes to start a new Christmas tradition, reading this story to her every year on Christmas Eve.
The children’s tale, published through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Amazon’s independent publishing programme, is now available to millions of readers around the world in print, on the Kindle app for iOS and Android, and via any Kindle or Fire tablet.
For more information, you can visit www.amazon.co.uk/christmasonkindle.
