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Children's writing

The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition 2020

Information

Closing date: 
15 May 2021
Entry: 
Unpublished and unagented writers of children’s fiction suitable for children/young adults aged somewhere between 7 and 18 years. No entry fee
Prize: 
A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a royalty advance of £10,000, plus an offer of representation from a top literary agent

Enter The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition  Read more

The Selfies Book Awards UK 2021

Information

Closing date: 
1 January 2021
Entry: 
Authors who have self-published adult fiction, children’s books or adult memoirs/autobiography in the UK between January and December 2020. Entry fee: £25 per title to include a six-month subscription to Bookbrunch
Prize: 
£750 cash prize for each category plus a profile in BookBrunch and the option of a special publishing deal provided by sponsors IngramSpark

Back for the third year, the hugely popular UK Selfies book awards - powered by BookBrunch - is adding for 2021 a third category, adult memoirs/autobiography, to the existing categories of adult fiction and children's books.  Read more

Wicked Young Writers 2020

Information

Closing date: 
2 March 2020
Entry: 
5-25 year-olds writers in the UK. No entry fee
Prize: 
Each winner gets four tickets to see the London production of WICKED at the Apollo Victoria Theatre + meet cast members after the show along with an exclusive backstage tour and £50 worth of books/eBooks tokens to spend.

The Wicked Young Writers Awards has announced that entries are open for its 10th anniversary year. Created by the producers of the musical Wicked in partnership with the National Literacy TrustUK-based organisation which has campaigned since 1993 to improve literacy standards across all age groups. Excellent research information and details of the many initiatives the charity is currently involved in. www.literacytrust.org.uk. It also has a useful page of news stories on UK literacy, which links to newsletter http://www.readitswapit.co.uk/TheLibrary.aspx, the annual national writing competition is for 5 to 25-year-olds, and is intended "to reward excellence in creative writing and encourage young people to find their own voice".  Read more

The Bookbrunch Selfies Awards 2020

Information

Closing date: 
27 December 2019
Entry: 
All titles submitted need to have been published in English since January 2018, and entries will be accepted from authors based in the UK who are predominantly or only self-published. Entrance fee of £25+VAT per title, and all those submitting work will receive six-month subscriptions to BookBrunch.
Prize: 
£1,000 in each category

Submissions are open for the second year of the Bookbrunch Selfies Awards in the UK.  Read more

The Caterpillar Story Prize 2019

Information

Closing date: 
30 September 2019
Entry: 
Open to all writers over 16 Entry fee €12
Prize: 
First Prize €1,000, Second Prize a week’s retreat at the marvellous Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Co. Monaghan, Ireland.

This annual award is given to the best story (of no more than 1,500 words) written by an adult for children aged 7-11.
Anyone can enter, as long as you are over 16 and your story is previously unpublished.


THE JUDGE

We are delighted to announce that Kelly McCaughrain will judge The Caterpillar Story Prize 2019.

HOW 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

Pushkin Children’s Books open submission 2018

Information

Closing date: 
8 January 2018
Entry: 
Open to all unpublished authors of middle-grade books
Prize: 
Publication

Pushkin Children's Books is repeating its Open Submission Initiative, for middle-grade books, on 8 January for one day only from 00.00-23.59 GMT.  Read more

Emma Press poetry and prose open submission

Information

Closing date: 
10 December 2017
Entry: 
Open to all writers internationally but you have to join the Emma Press Club No entry fee
Prize: 
Publication

The Emma Press has launched an open submissions call for pamphlet proposals, for both poetry and prose, for adults and children. The submissions window will close on 10 December.  Read more

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14 June 2021 - What's new

June 2021
  • 'Writing is rewriting. The first draft is the jabber you forced on that blind date. She was hoping for someone to ask her what she was feeling, but all you said was, and then I, and then I, and then I, and then . . . The first draft is meant to be discarded. The first draft is the beginning of the idea, the slender thread of a story.
  Read more

Walter Mosley on rewriting

14 June 2021

'Writing is rewriting. The first draft is the jabber you forced on that blind date. She was hoping for someone to ask her what she was feeling, but all you said was, and then I, and then I, and then I, and then . . . The first draft is meant to be discarded. The first draft is the beginning of the idea, the slender thread of a story.  Read more

‘All fiction is largely autobiographical and much autobiography is, of course, fiction.'

— P D James