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Children's

2022 Times/Chicken House writing competition

Information

Closing date: 
1 June 2022
Entry: 
fee Open to unpublished, unagented children’s writers based anywhere in the world. Entry fee £20
Prize: 
First Prize a publishing contract with Chicken House with an advance of £10,000, plus the offer of representation from literary agent Louise Lamont at LBA Books, Second Prize a £7,500 publishing contract plus an offer of representation

Now the biggest children's writing competition in the UK, the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition has been running for 12 years and has kickstarted the careers of many of the most established writers for both children and adults in the UK - including Jasbinder Bilan (Costa-winning author of Asha & the Spirit Bird), SJ Bennett (The Windsor Knot) and Nicki Thornton (The Last Ch  Read more

The International Rubery Book of the Year Award 2019

Information

Closing date: 
31 March 2019
Entry: 
Open to all writers internationally who have published or self-published their work Entry fee £37
Prize: 
£1500 plus £150 for at least three category winners

The Rubery Prize is a prestigious international book award seeking the best books by indie writers, self published authors and books published by independent presses, judged by reputable judges.

It is open to all writers internationally and is awarded to a book published in print or ebook form. Books published by independent presses and self published books are eligible to enter  Read more

Winchester Writers Festival 2018 Writing Competitions

Information

Closing date: 
11 April 2018
Entry: 
Open to all, no requirement to attend the Festival £6 per entry, +10 for feedback
Prize: 
Various prizes

Our 2018 Writing Competitions are now open!

For full details on our ten writing competitions, please visit www.writersfestival.co.uk/competitions  Read more

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2018

Information

Closing date: 
31 March 2018
Entry: 
Any adult poet can enter a single unpublished poem written for children Entry fee €12
Prize: 
€1,000 Prize

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize is for a single unpublished poem written by an adult for children. Anyone can enter the competition - from anywhere in the world - as long as the poem is original and unpublished.  Read more

The Big Idea Competition 2018

Information

Closing date: 
23 February 2018
Entry: 
Open to UK residents age 13 and over No entry fee
Prize: 
Winner £1,000 plus promise that idea will become a complete story written by a successful children's author, 5 Runners-up £1,000

Calling all storytellers: The Big Idea Competition 2018 has opened for entries!

Have you got an idea for a children's story? The Big Idea competition is on the hunt to unearth new storytelling talent.  Read more

Winchester Writers Festival Competitions 2017

Information

Closing date: 
15 May 2017
Entry: 
Open to all writers across the UK and around the world regardless of whether or not you attend the Festival Entry fees mostly £6
Prize: 
Various

The Festival's ten writing competitions are now open for submissions!

The competitions are open to all writers across the UK and around the world regardless of whether or not you attend the Festival in June.

Closing date: 15 May 2017. All entries must be submitted online. Winners will be announced at the Festival and on our website on Saturday 17 June.  Read more

The Caterpillar Story for Children Prize 2016

Information

Closing date: 
30 September 2016
Entry: 
Open to all Entry fee 12 euros
Prize: 
1st prize €500 plus a 2-week stay at The Moth’s Artists’ Residence, 2nd prize €300, 3rd prize €200

For an unpublished story (of no more than 1,500 words) by an adult for children aged 7-11. The three winning stories will appear in the winter issue of The Caterpillar.

Judged by Mark Lowery, award-winning author of The Jam Doughnut that Ruined My Life, Pants are Everything and Socks are Not Enough  Read more

Children's writers' competition and publishing opportunity 2005

Information

Closing date: 
31 July 2005
Entry: 
The promotion is open to anyone over the age of 16 years.
Prize: 
First prize is a guaranteed publishing contract with Faber

The Wow Factor

Waterstone’s and Faber and Faber have launched a UK-wide writing competition for a children’s book. The promotion is open to anyone over the age of 16 years. First prize is a guaranteed publishing contract with Faber.  Read more

The Greenhouse Funny Prize for UK and Irish Writers

Information

Closing date: 
30 July 2012
Entry: 
Unagented UK and Irish children's writers who are currently resident in the UK and Ireland
Prize: 
An offer of representation from the Greenhouse and a full weekend ticket to the wonderful Writers’ Workshop Festival of Writing that runs from 7-9 September 2012 (worth £525). The winner will also be presented with a bottle of champagne at the Festival’s gala dinner on the Saturday night. The runners-up will each get five of our favourite funny books.

Deadline: 30 July 2012

Eligibility: Unagented UK and Irish children's writers who are currently resident in the UK and Ireland  Read more

Mslexia Children’s Novel Competition 2016

Information

Closing date: 
19 September 2016
Entry: 
Open to all unpublished women writers Entry fee £25
Prize: 
£5,000

MslexiaStylish and lively site for quarterly UK literary magazine read by 12,000 'committed' women writers. Good range of quality writing, information and advice with news, reviews, competitions and interviews, all presented in a friendly fashion. Praised by Helen Dunmore as 'astute, invigorating and above all an excellent read.' www.mslexia.co.uk Women's Novel Competition 2016 is for novels of at least 15,000 words written for children (and young adults) in any genre by previously unpublished women novelists.

To enter, please submit the first 3,000 words of your completed children's novel. To qualify, your book must total at least 15,000 words.  Read more

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13 March 2023 - What's new

March 2023
  • ‘At their core, cosy crimes are very character-driven stories about unlikely and everyday heroes, and the tone of them is very humorous. The detectives are people who are underestimated - older characters or slightly bumbling eccentrics who make mistakes along the way and get themselves into trouble.
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