A QUINTET of Parkside School students have been hailed superhero writers.

Professional writers cast judgement on the students’ creative efforts as part of Bradford Literature Festival.

Mike McKenny, co-author of The Marvel Studios Phenomenon: Inside A Transmedia Universe, visited Parkside in Cullingworth to run a superhero workshop.

The work the students produced was taken to a panel of experts for judging, and Lewis Risden, Rosie Bailey, Jamie Smith, Anthony Nichols and Danyana Driver were shortlisted for the festival’s Superhero Character Creation competition.

Mike McKenny said that the students’ work showed great consideration of how their characters’ social environment had influenced their powers and their heroic drive.

He said the characters stood out as having something a little more unique and special in a field that was incredibly competitive.

He said all contributions were amazing and very difficult to choose from., and to have five in shortlisted from 30 in one school was an outstanding achievement.

The winner was Rosie, with Danyana a close second.

Mike said: “It was a delightful experience at Parkside; all students were engaged and inspiring.

“Being able to see the wonderful imagination and creativity of this group recognised by a panel of industry professionals feels extremely satisfying.”

The judging panel included Zoe Marriott, author of young adult books, including the Name Of The Blade trilogy; Kripa Joshi, an independent comic book writer and illustrator of books such as Miss Moti; Emma Vieceli comic book illustrator Manga Shakespeare and Alex Rider: Scorpia; Paul Gravett, described as a fountain of comic book knowledge, journalist and superfan; and Haroon, creator of Pakistani animated TV show Burka Avenger.

Zoe Marriott said: “All these story ideas have a lot of potential, and I encourage all these talented young writers to continue to work on them.

“Maybe one day I'll get to see a version of one of these superheroes in the shops or on a movie screen.”

Zoe said she loved Rosie’s idea of a home-schooled girl from a farm who is pricked by an unknown plant.

Zoe added: “It's nature and empathy against out-of-control greed and industrialism. I'd love to see this in comic form. Brilliant.”

Zoe also praised Danyana’s idea of giving a hero a nemesis they have a personal stake in destroying, specifically how Danyana had and linked her character’s parents’ deaths and her mentor's death to ‘Mr M’.