A PAIR of school pupils from Keighley are celebrating winning recognition in a national creative writing contest.

Year 10 pupils Ayesha Begum and Shirin Akhtar, of University Academy Keighley, (UAK) are to have lyrics they composed published by Young Writers, a national organisation that encourages young people to engage in creative writing.

They faced stiff competition from thousands of other entries from across the UK in the "Busta Rhyme" contest.

A spokesman for UAK said: "We are delighted that both Ayesha and Shirin's entries were picked from over 6,000 that were received by Young Writers. "The pair had to write some powerful lyrics about a topic that they felt strongly about.

"This is a fantastic achievement for our young writers and we look forward to seeing their work published in: "Busta Rhyme - Poets from the North East", which is scheduled for publication on August 31 this year."

A Young Writers spokesman explained: "Busta Rhyme gives students the opportunity to write a poem about something they feel passionately about.

"Lyrical poets express emotion through verse on all matter of subjects, from current affairs, religion and identity to love, loss and everything in-between. "It's a chance to voice opinion, share a memory or dilemma, impart advice, or indulge in writing about something they adore."