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2023 Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition

Information
Closing date: 
1 June 2023
Entry: 
Open to unpublished, unagented children’s writers based anywhere in the world.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 Davinia Andrew-Lynch of Andlyn

Chicken House 'is thrilled to announce' the opening of its 2022 writing competition, in conjunction with The Times, and with a new prize sponsored by TV production company Lime Pictures. The deadline for submissions is 1 June 2023.

According to organisers: 'Now the biggest children's writing competition in the UK, the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition has been running for 13 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), S.J. Bennett (The Windsor Knot) and Efua Traoré (Waterstones Prize-shortlisted Children of the Quicksands). Since the competition's inception, over half of shortlistees have gone on to be published, including winners.

'The competition is open to unpublished, unagented writers based anywhere in the world. We accept entries aimed at readers from age 7 all the way up to age 18 (Young Adult). The top prize is a publishing contract with Chicken House with an advance of £10,000, plus the offer of representation from literary agent Davinia Andrew-Lynch of Andlyn.

'This year also sees the introduction of the Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award, a bespoke prize sponsored by leading TV production company Lime Pictures, awarded to the submission which shows the greatest TV development potential and chosen by Chicken House Publisher Barry Cunningham and Lime Pictures' Tim Compton. The winner will receive a £7,500 publishing contract plus an offer of representation. Lime Pictures will receive an exclusive first look at all shortlisted manuscripts. The Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award will replace the Chairman's Choice Award.'

Barry Cunningham, Chicken House Publisher and MD, said: "I'm thrilled with how this special competition just grows and grows, welcoming new talent from around the world - and how it always manages to surprise and amaze the judges with fresh new writing!"

This year's competition will be judged by a panel of industry experts, including Cunningham, The Times Arts Editor Alex O'Connell, Lime Pictures' Co-Head of Kids and Family Tim Compton and literary agent Davinia Andrew-Lynch.

The competition costs £20 to enter and is open to writers from all over the world, as long as they write in English, are unagented and have not had a children's book published before.


More details

 

 

 

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 Chance Hotel series). Since the competition's inception, 62% of shortlistees have gone on to be published, including winners.

The competition is open to unpublished, unagented writers based anywhere in the world. We accept entries aimed at readers from age 7 all the way up to age 18 (Young Adult).

The top prize is 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, who will also be on this year's judging panel.

A second prize, the Chairman's Choice Award - awarded to the manuscript which shows the most potential - will win a £7,500 publishing contract plus an offer of representation.

Chicken House publisher Barry Cunningham said: "I'm thrilled with how this special competition just grows and grows, welcoming new talent from around the world - and how it always manages to surprise and amaze the judges with fresh new writing!"

This year's competition will be judged by a panel of industry experts, including Barry Cunningham, The Times Arts Editor Alex O'Connell, YA Book Prize-winning author Patrice Lawrence, author and booktuber Lucy Powrie, LBA Books literary agent Louise Lamont, bookseller Sanchita Basu de Sarkar from Children's Bookshop Muswell Hill, and literary scout Rosalind Ramsay.

The competition costs £20 to enter and is open to writers from all over the world, as long as they write in English, are unagented and have not had a children's book published before.

More details

 

Closing date: 
1 June 2023
Entry: 
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 Davinia Andrew-Lynch of Andlyn