A collection of the best creative writing from across Cheshire has been published in a new book.

The University of Chester Press published Passages of Time, which features shortlisted entries from the 2023 Cheshire Prize for Literature.

The book features a range of stories, children's literature, poems, and scripts that all follow the theme of time.

Contributing writers attended a book launch event at the university's Queen’s Park campus to see their work in print.

Livi Michael, an award-winning novelist, children’s author, and podcaster penned the foreword for the anthology.

She said: "It was a great honour to be invited to the awards ceremony for the Cheshire Prize, which is unique in giving prizes in so many categories.

"The evening itself was a delight – a celebration of talent in all the different genres of writing, poetry, fiction, children’s fiction, drama.

"And what a wonderful way to commemorate this award – by producing this beautiful book.

"It’s so exciting to see your own work in print and to have something to treasure.

"Anthologies used to be called ‘treasuries’ and I rather like that word.

"It conveys the sense of something precious, and varied, where wealth is stored.

"And this anthology is exactly that."

Head judge Dr Harry Parkin, senior lecturer in English language and programme leader for MRes Storytelling at the University of Chester, added: "The subject of time is woven into the pages that follow, represented in poetry, short stories, children’s literature, and scripts.

"The topics may be different: in the short stories, we see visions of the future, a hope of new beginnings, time’s effect on relationships, and a race against time to catch a killer; in the children’s literature, we see a celebration of childhood, a new relationship change as day turns to night, and characters waiting for love in a tale of a past time; in the poetry, we see efforts to process and reflect on love, grief, coming of age, and ageing; in the scripts we see the impact of new life, the comedic absurdity of monotony and repetition, and a worrying glimpse of things to come.

"But time unites them all, bringing them together in a representation of how time had, has, and will continue to have a hold on us all."

The Cheshire Prize for Literature was established in 2003 as the High Sheriff’s Cheshire Prize for Literature, and is currently administered by the University of Chester.

The 2023 competition focused on poetry, short fiction, children’s literature, and scriptwriting.

This anthology features entries shortlisted for the prize as well as winners and runners-up.

For more information or to purchase a copy, visit the University of Chester's website.