A Croydon author is celebrating after winning first place in an international life writing competition.

Anita Reeves entered the Society of Women Writer's and Journalists (SWWJ) International Life Writing Competition last year.

Each entrant was required to submit a 3,000 word life writing piece, which described an experience or memory that either they or another had gone through.

The mother-of-two's winning piece is called Black, White and Shades of Grey, and is a glimpse into her life as a teenager, when she moved from Zimbabwe to the UK.

The 42-year-old said: "I found it quite difficult to write because some of the memories were quite difficult from when people lost their lives, but writing the piece gave these difficult memories a purpose.

"They aren't forgotten because they live on in the written word."

The piece was judged by an independent panel and novelist Katie Fforde judge the shortlist.

All short-listed authors are having their work published in an anthology, but for coming first Mrs Reeves was presented with £3,000 and got to read her piece to the audience.

She said: "I was thrilled to be one of the twelve shortlisted because the SWWJ has been established since 1894 and is well respected.

"I thought getting to that stage was such an achievement, when I found out I had won it was a shock but I was delighted to come first.

"I got very emotional at the beginning but once I got over the emotional bits I loved reading it to the audience."