Children’s Writing Competitions

Writing competitions for children and teens

Please note that many previous annual competitions were or are being affected by the recession, cost of living crisis or government funding cuts. This is beyond our control.

Closing date in November

• The Rachel Cooke Graphic Short Story Prize, organised by Faber and the Observer, is an annual competition open to UK and Republic of Ireland residents aged 16 and over. Entrants create an original four-page comic telling a complete story through illustrations, with or without words. The winner receives £1,000 and publication in the Observer New Review, while the runner-up receives £250. Entries close on 30 November 2026.
• The Frank Moran Young Writers Competition, organised annually by the Athenaeum in Liverpool, invites writers aged 16-19 to submit 1,000-1,200 words of original prose. Entries can include short stories, travel writing or personal essays. The winner receives £500, a year’s honorary membership of the Athenaeum and the title of Writer in Residence, with £50 also awarded to their school library. Initial entries close on 15 November 2026.
• The Nuneaton Christmas Writing Competition, organised by MP Jodie Gosling, invites secondary school students in Nuneaton and the surrounding villages to submit a festive poem or short piece of prose of up to 75 words. The theme is Christmas in Nuneaton, and the winning entry will be printed inside the MP’s official Christmas card. Entries close on 20 November 2026.
• The Oxfordshire Libraries Short Story Competition is free to enter for people who live, work or study in Oxfordshire, or hold an Oxfordshire Libraries membership. Categories are for children aged 7-11, young adults aged 12-17 and adults. Children’s stories can be up to 1,000 words and young adult entries up to 3,000 words. Winning stories will be published as eBooks on Oxfordshire Libraries’ OverDrive and Libby services in 2027. Entries close on 15 November 2026.
• The Word Exchange competition, run by the Southbank Centre as part of A Poet in Every Port, invites UK-based poets aged 16 and over to create a poem inspired by words, phrases or dialect from their local area. Entrants must post a video performance of no more than three minutes on Instagram or TikTok, tagging the Southbank Centre and using the competition hashtag, then complete an online entry form. The winner will perform at the 2027 London Literature Festival, with travel and accommodation included. Entries close on 30 November 2026.
• BBC 500 Words short story competition invites UK children aged 5-11 to write an original story of no more than 500 words. There are two age categories, 5-7 and 8-11. The 2026 competition closes at 9pm on 6 November.
• The VERVE Poetry Festival Young Poets Competition is free to enter for young people aged 11-17. Entrants submit an original, unpublished poem of up to 80 lines on the theme Belonging. Ten young poets will be selected for publication in the festival anthology and invited to read at the 2027 festival, with opportunities to attend writing workshops. The deadline is 30 November 2026.
• The Royal Geographical Society School Essay Competition, run in partnership with the Financial Times, invites geography students aged 16-18 in Year 12 or 13, or equivalent, from the UK and overseas to explore the causes, changing patterns and consequences of migration. Entries can be essays or ArcGIS StoryMaps of no more than 1,000 words. Teachers must submit entries by 5pm GMT on Monday 9 November 2026.
• The One Hand Clapping Young Person’s Poetry Competition is free to enter for poets aged 17-25. The top prizes are £100, £50 and £25, and shortlisted poets will be invited to read their work at Blackwell’s in Oxford and have it published in One Hand Clapping. The deadline is 1 November 2026.
• The Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest is an international competition open to writers of all ages. Entrants can submit an original piece of fiction, poetry or non-fiction of no more than 100 words, including the title. The entry fee is US$15 per submission, and prizes include US$1,000 for first place, publishing and editing packages, and smaller cash awards. Entries close on 30 November 2026.
• The Guardian’s Young Country Diary invites children aged 8-14 living in the UK to write a 200-250 word article about a recent encounter with nature. Children can describe wildlife encountered in gardens, parks, woodlands or other natural places, with selected entries published in the Guardian’s Young Country Diary series. A parent or guardian must give permission and submit the entry. The autumn deadline is noon on 2 November 2026.

Closing date in December

• The After the End Poetry Competition, organised in partnership with the National Poetry Centre, is a free international competition with a category for writers under 18. Entrants submit an original, unpublished poem of up to 40 lines, or a spoken-word video of under three minutes, exploring the idea of endings and what happens afterwards. Cash prizes include £200 for first place and £100 for second and third. The deadline is 1 December 2026.
• The Words of the Wetlands Poetry Competition, organised by the Beaver Trust, invites children aged 5-11 across England, Scotland and Wales to write a handwritten acrostic poem inspired by beavers and wetland wildlife. Children can enter individually or through schools, with prizes including a workshop with former Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, book bundles and book vouchers. Entries open on 1 November and close on 31 December 2026, or earlier if 10,000 entries are received.
• The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize 2027 is free to enter for UK-based writers aged 18-25. Entrants submit an original piece of fiction or non-fiction of 1,000-1,500 words responding to a quotation from Benjamin Franklin. The first prize is £750 and the second prize is £500, with shortlisted entries published online and displayed at Benjamin Franklin House. Entries close on 10 December 2026.
• The Charles Causley Young Person’s Poetry Competition is free to enter for children and young people aged 5-18 in Cornwall. The 2026 theme is Heritage, and there are three age categories: 5-10, 11-15 and 16-18. Prizes include family English Heritage memberships. Entries close on 31 December 2026.
• The Arts Richmond Young Writers Festival is an annual writing competition for young people who live or attend a school or club in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Entrants can submit a short story of up to 500 words or a poem of up to 25 lines on one of four themes: That Made Me Laugh, The Secret Door, A Memorable Experience or If I Could Fly. Entries are judged in four school-year categories and close on 4 December 2026.
• The Museum of You, a free writing challenge from The Poetry Society’s Young Poets Network and the National Museum of Scotland, invites writers aged up to 25 anywhere in the world to create a poem that belongs in an imaginary museum of their own life. There is no word or line limit, and selected poems will be published by Young Poets Network. At least one Scotland-based winner will also be invited to perform at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Entries close at 11.59pm GMT on 13 December 2026.
• The Big Writing Challenge, organised by Social Enterprise Kent, invites aspiring writers aged 5-16 to submit or record a piece of creative writing of up to 500 words on the theme The Power of Kindness. Entries can take the form of a story, poem, comic strip, diary entry, speech or another creative format. Winning work will be published in the Big Writing Challenge 2027 book, and entries close on 31 December 2026.
• The Thomas Cranmer Poetry Competition, introduced as part of the Prayer Book Society’s 2027 Cranmer Awards, invites students aged 11-18 to submit an original, unpublished poem on the theme Thomas Cranmer as the author of the Book of Common Prayer. Cash prizes of £150, £100 and £50 are available, and entries close on 6 December 2026.
• Into Film awards – see also the ‘Film of the Month’ competition and the extensive resources to encourage school film clubs.
• One Teen Story is a free international fiction competition for writers aged 13-19. The 2027 contest accepts original, unpublished short stories of 2,000-4,500 words featuring teenage characters and exploring the teen experience. Winning stories will be published online, with each winner receiving US$500 and the opportunity to work with an editor. Entries close on 1 December 2026.
• Poetry Together Competition encourages children and young people under 18 in the UK to write a poem of no more than 14 lines or choose a poem to learn by heart, then share poetry with older members of their community. The 2026 theme is Memories and Dreams. Schools can organise intergenerational poetry gatherings and submit poems, photographs and videos for the chance to win prizes. Entries close on 18 December 2026.
• It’s not a writing competition, but GCHQ’s annual Christmas Challenge is a great competition for your library groups! There are downloadable school packs for teachers and librarians.

Closing date in January

• The Guernsey International Poetry Competition offers a free Young People’s category for poets aged 11-17 worldwide. Entrants can submit an original poem of up to 14 lines on any subject. The first prize is £250, and winning poems will be displayed in public places across Guernsey. Entries close on 15 January 2027.
• The Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival Poetry Competition is an annual international poetry competition with free entry for children and teenagers under 18. The 2027 theme is Water is Life, and poems must be no longer than 30 lines. There are separate categories for ages 11 and under and 12-17, with prizes of £50 and £100 respectively. Entries close at 11pm on 3 January 2027.
• IOP (Institute of Physics) is running a Quantum on the Clock competition for 16-18 year olds in their final two years at school to enter an original video of up to three minutes in length describing “any aspect of quantum science or technology.“
• The Daunt Books Children’s Short Story Competition invites children aged 4-15 living in the UK to submit an original short story of up to 1,500 words. Entrants can write about any subject, and winning stories will be published in a book with a cover illustrated by Mariajo Ilustrajo and an introduction by Catherine Bruton. Only one entry per child is permitted, and schools can submit multiple entries with parental permission. The deadline is 17 January 2027.
• The East Riding Festival of Words Poetry Competition invites poems of up to 45 lines on the theme The Stories That Made Me. Entry is free for school-age children, with separate primary and secondary school prizes of £75 and £50, alongside highly commended awards. The deadline is 10 January 2027.
• The Stepping Into Stories Kids Lit Festival runs a story competition for 4-7, 8-11 and 12+ year olds. Entries should fit on a single page of paper, and films and recordings should be no longer than two minutes.
• The Cheshire Prize for Literature is open to 4-18 year-olds who ‘live or have lived, work or have worked, studied or have studied in Cheshire, Wirral, Warrington or Halton.’ Children and teens can enter short stories, poetry, children’s literature, scriptwriting and flash fiction. There are three age group categories: primary (4-11), secondary (11-17) and over 18.
• Perse Research’s Year 9 Aristotelian Award is open to students in Year 9 or equivalent. The award exists to “promote the independent study skills in Year 9 pupils while simultaneously providing an avenue to explore super-curricular interests in the arts, humanities and sciences.” Entrants are invited to write an 800-1500 word essay choosing a title from a choice of topics and essay titles spanning the arts, humanities and the sciences.
• The Rotary Young Writer Competition invites young writers aged up to 17 to submit an original story of up to 550 words or poem of up to 40 lines on the 2026/27 theme Friendship. Entries are submitted through local Rotary clubs, which set their own deadlines before the district and national finals.
• Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest offers three 2026 submission cycles, with article deadlines on 31 May 2026, 24 August 2026 and 2 January 2027. The contest is open to students in grades 7-12 in the United States and internationally; submissions must be written in English with traditional American spelling.

Closing date in February

• The Hive Young Writers’ Competition is free to enter for writers aged 14-30 who live, study or have a home address in the North of England or Midlands. There are three age categories, 14-16, 17-19 and 20-30. Entrants can submit up to two original pieces of poetry, flash fiction or short stories, with poems limited to 50 lines and prose to 200-2,000 words. Prizes include publication, professional feedback, mentoring and writing resources. The deadline is 24 February 2027.
• The Farnham Poetry Competition is free to enter and open to poets of all ages, including children and teenagers. Entrants are invited to write an original, unpublished poem on the 2027 theme Heatwave. Winners and runners-up will be announced at the Farnham Literary Festival in March. Entries close on 15 February 2027.
• Never Such Innocence invites young people aged 9-18 internationally to respond to the 2026/27 theme Through My Eyes, exploring their perspectives on war and conflict. Entrants can submit original poetry, artwork or short films, with winning work published in a digital booklet. The competition is free to enter, and entries close on 26 February 2027.
• The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition is an international writing contest for students aged 10-18, with creative, argumentative and journalistic essay categories. Entrants choose a set prompt and submit a 400-500 word essay in the regional round, with successful entrants progressing to a global final. Registration costs US$15 or US$20 depending on when entrants register. Registration closes on 10 February 2027, and regional essays must be submitted by 23 February 2027.
• The Guardian’s Emerging Voices Awards, previously called the Hugo Young Award, invite 16-18-year-olds and 19-25-year-olds from a state school background to submit a short political opinion piece on a subject of their choice.
• Time to Write, run by ISEB and IAPS, is open to 7-16-year-olds in all schools. Schools can submit pupils’ stories in four age group categories – years 3&4, years 5&6, years 7,8&9 and years 10&11.
• The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition invites school-age children, including home-educated pupils, to submit an original story, poem or character description of up to 500 words inspired by Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. The 2027 theme is Transformations, with three age categories: 5-10, 11-14 and 15-18. First prizes include £300 for the winner and £1,000 for their school or nominated library. Entries close on 28 February 2027.
• The Christopher Tower Poetry Competition is free to enter for students aged 16-18 in secondary education in the UK. Entrants must write an original poem of up to 48 lines on the 2027 theme The Deep. The first prize is £5,000, with further cash prizes for runners-up. Entries close at midday on 18 February 2027.

Closing date in March

• The Trust for Sustainable Living International Student Competition is an annual competition open to primary and secondary school pupils worldwide, with separate categories for ages 7-11 and 12-18. The 2027 theme is Navigating El Niño, asking how world leaders should respond to increasingly extreme weather. Entrants can submit essays, stories, poems, letters and other creative work, with written entries limited to 600 words. Prizes include cash awards, certificates and opportunities to participate in international student debates. Entries close on 1 March 2027.
• The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators, organised by the Translation Exchange at The Queen’s College, Oxford, is a free annual competition for pupils aged 11-18 at UK secondary schools. Entrants translate literary texts from French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Russian or Spanish into English, with a French-to-Welsh category also available. Schools receive free teaching resources to support creative translation. The 2027 competition opens on 25 January and closes on 19 March.
• The Julia & Martin Wilson Short Story Prize, run by Broadway Arts Festival, is a biennial writing competition inviting original short stories of up to 2,000 words on any theme. Entry is free for children aged 16 and under, with separate categories for children aged 10 and under and young people aged 11-16, each offering a £100 prize. Winning stories are published on the festival website. The previous competition closed on 27 March 2026, and the next is expected in 2028, with the exact closing date to be announced.
• The Young Northern Writers’ Awards, run by New Writing North, invite writers aged 11-18 based in the North of England to submit original creative writing, including poetry, fiction, scripts, blogging and songwriting. There are two age categories, 11-14 and 15-18, each with a £150 prize. Entries close at midday on 15 March 2027.
• A Statue For Ada is running a poetry competition to help highlight the life of Ada Nield Chew, a suffragist from Crewe. Under 18s can enter the contest for free, and schools can submit students’ poems of no more than 20 lines on the theme of change, protest and freedom.
• Taradiddle Young Writer Contests offer children aged 12 & under, 13–15, and 16–18 to submit up to 500 words and 14-18 year olds up to 1000 words. The winners will receive prizes, and details of the writing prompts are on the organiser’s website.
• Young Science Writer of the Year Award – run by the Association of British Science Writers, this award is open to UK pupils aged 14-16 in non-selective state schools. Students can submit up to 800 words “on any subject in science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics.”
• Young Songwriter Competition is an international songwriting competition for young people aged 8-22. Entrants can submit original songs individually or as a group, providing an MP3 recording and lyrics. There are eight age group categories for UK, Ireland and international entrants, with songs judged on originality, lyrics, melody and composition. Entries close on 31 March 2027.
• The BBC Young Reporter Competition is open to children and teens aged 11-18 who “want to report on a story or issue which is important to their life or the world around them”.
• Fitzwilliam College Cambridge is running a series of essay competitions aimed at pupils in their penultimate year of education before university – i.e. Year 12, S5 or Y13 (Northern Ireland). Entries (written in English) are welcome from around the world. With six categories: Ancient World and Classics, Archaeology, History, Land Economy, Medieval World, and Architecture, this competition is highly recommended for 6th formers and could provide useful evidence for university applications, a starting point for an EPQ project, or a talking point for an admissions interview. The deadline is 3rd March.
• The BBC Young Writer’s Award – is open to 14-18-year-olds who can submit a piece of original fiction of up to 1000 words. Highly recommended.
• The Portico Sadie Massey Awards offer free short story and book review competitions for children and young people aged 7-18 anywhere in the world. The Young Writers competition invites original stories set in the North of England, while the Young Readers competition welcomes reviews of books in any genre, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and graphic novels. The deadline for both competitions is 22 March 2027.
• The Girton College Humanities Writing Competition – open to Year 12 students in the UK, the writing task is based on five objects in the college’s antiquities museum.
• The Royal Mint runs an annual competition for primary school pupils aged 8-11 who can enter short stories of up to 500 words. Prizes include books for the school library. For this year’s theme and entry details, see the competition website.
• The Lowry’s Creative Writing Challenge is open to children aged 7-11 from across Salford and Greater Manchester. “Pupils can draw on all aspects of writing for performance“, and enter writing of up to 500 words including poetry and stories or up to three minutes of playscript.
• Voices – a writing competition, run by the charity Coram Voice, which is open to children and young people who are in or have experience with the care system.

Closing date in April

• The Royal Court Young Playwrights Award is a free writing competition for young people aged 13-18 based in the UK. Entrants submit an original play of 1,000-5,000 words on any subject, containing dialogue and at least one named character. The Royal Court Theatre provides free writing resources, workshops and video masterclasses to support entrants. Shortlisted and winning writers will be invited to the Young Playwrights Festival, with travel support available. The deadline is midday on 1 April 2027.
• The Young Playwrights Award is a free, open-access competition for any 13-18-year-olds in the UK who can write and submit a play of 1000-5000 words. There are lots of resources on the competition website, including videos, lesson plans and guidance for teachers.
• The Orwell Youth Prize invites students in Years 7-13 in the UK, or those studying a British curriculum overseas, to respond to the 2027 theme Acts of Courage. Entrants can submit creative writing, journalism, essays, poetry, scripts or other forms, with a maximum of 1,000 words for Years 7-11 and 1,500 words for Years 12-13. Winners receive £100, books and publication opportunities. The final closing date is 28 April 2027.
• The ISA Handwriting Competition is open to pupils in Key Stages 1-5 at Independent Schools Association member schools. The competition celebrates handwriting skills and includes categories for primary and secondary school pupils, with entries submitted by member schools. Entries close on 27 April 2027.
• The Royal Mint Museum short story competition – open to “Anyone aged seven to eleven, inclusive, who lives in, and is schooled or homeschooled, in the United Kingdom.“
• The Elmbridge Literary Competition is open only to residents, schools and groups based in Elmbridge. Entry is free for under-18s, and the 2026 closing date is Monday 27 April.
• The Peterhouse Kelvin Sciences Essay Competition for students in their penultimate year of study in the UK and Ireland invites essays of up to 2,000 words on science questions set each year.
• The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators, run by The Queen’s College, Oxford, is free to enter and open to pupils aged 11-18 at schools across the UK. Pupils translate a literary text from one of the languages listed on the competition website, with resources available for teachers.
• Magdalene College Cambridge’s Armstrong Arts and Humanities Essay Competition is open to students in their penultimate year of education who attend state-maintained schools in the UK or Isle of Man. Entrants submit one essay of up to 2,000 words in response to a choice of arts and humanities questions.
• Humanimal Trust Creative Awards – children and teens aged 7-18 can share their creative skills on the theme of ‘We Are All Animals‘ in four age group categories: 7-9; 10-11; 12-15 & 16+. Full details are on the competition website.
• Pitch Magazine is running a Young Sports Journalist competition. Students aged 14-24 can enter an article of 400-600 words in response to the question prompts on the website. There are four age group categories: 14-15, 16-17, 18-19 and 20-21 and there’s a £50 prize and work experience opportunity for each winning entry.
• Reading Zone offers a Create a Picture Book competition that’s open to 4-18-year-olds in three age group categories: 4-7; 7-11 and 11+. Prizes include £200 of books.
• Tadpole Press is running a worldwide 100-word writing contest open to writers of all ages. 100 words can be submitted in any genre. There is an entry fee for this competition, and there’s a cash prize for 1st place and writing coaching and editing packages for the 2nd and 3rd places. Deadlines are in April and November.
• Author of Tomorrow – run by the Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation, the Author of Tomorrow prize aims to find adventure writers of the future. Young people under 21 can submit entries between 1500 and 5000 words (under 500 words for primary-aged pupils). The prizes are £1000 for the 16-21 age group, £100 and £150 in book tokens for the 12-15 age group, and £100 and £150 in book tokens for the 11 and under age group.
• Goldsmiths University of London is running a series of competitions for 16-18-year-olds who are invited to a short story, a piece of journalism with a historical angle, or a piece about identity and culture: The Young Writer, Young Columnist, and Young Anthropologist competitions.
• The annual OxBright Essay Competition invites 15-18-year-olds to submit an essay of up to 3,800 characters (around 500 words). Details of the theme and subject requirements are on the competition website.

Closing date in May

• The Young Norfolk Writing Prize, run by the National Centre for Writing, invites 10-18-year-olds who live or study in Norfolk to submit up to four pieces of creative writing on the annual theme. Poems, stories, scripts and other forms of creative writing are accepted.
• Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest offers three 2026 submission cycles, with article deadlines on 31 May 2026, 24 August 2026 and 2 January 2027. The contest is open to students in grades 7-12 in the United States and internationally; submissions must be written in English with traditional American spelling.
• Hampshire Young Poets’ competition invites 4-7, 8-11 and 12-16 year olds living or studying in Hampshire to enter a poem of no more than 14 lines on a specific theme. This year, the theme is Food. Prizes include book tokens.
• Quay Words Young Writers’ Flash Fiction Competition is open to 10-18-year-olds who can submit a 500-word (10-14 year olds) or 250-word (14-18 year olds) piece of flash fiction on the prescribed theme. Full entry details can be found on the competition website.
• Independence Education Publishers is celebrating their 35th birthday by launching a writing competition for KS3 and KS4 students. 11-14-year-olds and 15-18-year-olds can write original 500-1000-word pieces about ‘Teen Self-Care‘.
• The Poetry of Science Competition – Can you write a ‘terrific scientific poem‘? Each entrant can enter one poem of up to 150 words. There are three age group categories: 5-7, 8-11 and 12-16. For schools, there’s a downloadable poster for classrooms here. Winners will be invited to Oxford to attend a celebration event and perform their poems.
• The D.H. Lawrence Children’s Prize: Writing Competition is open to students aged 7 and under, 8-11 and 12-16, who can enter up to 500 words on the theme of “Animals”. Prizes include Kindles and book tokens.
• Bournemouth Writing Festival is running an international students’ competition, with the theme of “On Bournemouth Beach“. It’s open to international students aged 16+ whose first language is not English.
• War Through Children’s Eyes is open to children aged 7-17 and aims to “raise awareness of the impact of wars and violent conflicts on the communities caught up in them, and particularly on the most vulnerable members of those communities: their children“. Entries of up to 1000 words are invited; there are vouchers for the top three entries, and full details are available on the website.
• The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition is open to young people under the age of 19. The competition features a starter paragraph and invites entrants to write under 1000 words to continue the story.

Closing date in June

• Sally Doherty’s Publishing Competition for Kids invites 8-12-year-olds to write a four-line Halloween-themed spell poem in the style of the Toby Bean trilogy, with the second and fourth lines rhyming. Entries are free and should be emailed to the address on the competition details page; the top four poems will be published in the Halloween-themed Toby Bean book.
• Scribblebibble’s annual writing competition invites 7-18-year-olds to submit up to 500-word pieces of fiction or nonfiction based on a variety of writing prompts. There are prizes for the winners, and the competition is open to children and teens worldwide.
• CovLitFest Children’s Poetry Competition invites children in Reception to Year 11 from Coventry and CV postcode areas to write a poem of no more than 20 lines on the theme of Coventry. There are three age categories and book-token prizes for each category.
• Martha Mills Young Writers’ Prize invites 11-14-year-olds living in the UK to enter prose of 500 words or fewer on the 2026 theme, An Unlikely Friend. Poems are not accepted. There are cash prizes and books for three winners.
• BCC Young Entrepreneurs, run by First News, invites young entrepreneurs aged 5-15 to write up to 200 words about their business idea or innovation. There are four categories to pick from, and prizes include a trip to the British Chambers of Commerce’s Global Annual Conference.
• The Wells Festival of Literature Young Poets Competition is open to poets aged 16-22. Entrants can submit up to three poems for a fee of £3 per poem.
• Cambridge University and SATIPS handwriting competition.
• Atom Learning’s Young Author Award is a UK creative writing competition for children aged 7-11 to write up to 500 words.

Closing date in July

• Young & Talented Cornwall invites 16-23-year-old residents of Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly who ‘aspire to see your work in print, on stage or on screen‘ to enter a personal statement and sample of work – both of up to 500 words – in this creative writing award scheme ‘to help budding Cornish writers‘. Grants of up to £1000 are available, together with a reading award of up to £150 worth of books.
• The Estelle Prize for English, run by Queens’ College Cambridge, is open to Year 12 pupils in England and Wales, S5 pupils in Scotland and Year 13 pupils in Northern Ireland. Entrants submit an English essay of no more than 2,500 words in response to one of the set questions. The 2026 deadline is 3rd July.
• Write on Art, run by Art UK and the Paul Mellon Centre, is a national writing programme for young people aged 13-19. Entrants write about an artwork on Art UK in one of three categories: creative writing, review or essay. Younger writers can submit up to 400 words and older writers up to 600 words. The 2026 deadline is 21st July.
• Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival Children’s Writing Competition invites children to write a story or poem inspired by a favourite book. The 2026 competition has categories for ages 5-8, 9-11 and 12-13, with school-library book prizes available.
• The Laurie Lee Prize for Writing offers a young person’s category for those who either live in Gloucestershire or were born in Gloucestershire.  16–20-year-olds  can enter up to 2500 words or up to 125 lines of poetry on “a nature or conservation theme”. More details are on the competition website.
• Stories of the Future creative challenge. What does the future hold for young people around the world? asks this international competition run by Earth4All. With three categories: 15 and under, 16-18 and 19-21, students can enter writing up to 800 words or videos of up to 1.5 minutes. Full details are on the competition website. There are free resources and posters for schools.
• The Young Wild Writers competition, run by Hen Harrier Action invites children aged 5-8, 9-12 and 13-16 to enter stories, poems, articles, prose or letters of up to 500 words on the theme of Human Impact. Prizes include book vouchers and an online author visit to the winning child’s school. Full details, including a downloadable poster, are on the competition website.
• Foyle Young Poets competition – for 11-17-year-olds, the competition welcomes “poems on any theme and any length”.
• Stephen Spender Trust poetry in translation prize – the challenge is to translate a poem from any language into English. There are three categories for young people: U18, U16, and U14. The top prize is £1000.
• Ledbury Under 18’s poetry competition. Two categories – 11 and under and 12-17 request poems of no more than 40 lines in length. There are cash prizes or book tokens for the winners.
• HG Wells short story competition.
• Young Muslim Writers Award – open to UK children and teens in KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4 who can submit a short story or poetry, and in KS3 and KS4, this is extended to also include journalism, screenplays, and play scripts. Full details are on the website.
• Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Words of the Wild Competition invites those under 18 to submit a poem, journalistic article, essay, letter, song lyrics or a short story of under 100 words of fiction or nonfiction “connected to the native wildlife of Scotland.“
• Future Writers invites children in years 3&4, 5&6, 7,8&9, 10,11,12&13, and young adults aged 18-29, to enter a themed poem inspired by the work of Benjamin Zephaniah. Full details are on the competition website.

Closing date in August

• King’s College Cambridge’s Entrepreneurship Essay Competition invites UK-based students in Years 11, 12 and 13 in England and Wales, S4-S6 in Scotland, or Years 12-14 in Northern Ireland, to write an essay on one of the set entrepreneurship questions. The 2026 deadline is 5th August.
• The Spyder Outreach Summer Writing Contest 2026 is open to 8-16-year-olds worldwide. Entrants can submit a piece of writing under 600 words on the theme “the perfect summer day“. There is a £2.50 entry fee, and the deadline is 10 August.
• Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest offers three 2026 submission cycles, with article deadlines on 31 May 2026, 24 August 2026 and 2 January 2027. The contest is open to students in grades 7-12 in the United States and internationally; submissions must be written in English with traditional American spelling.
• Cinemagic Young Filmmaker – open to films on any subject from young filmmakers aged under 25. The prizes include winning films being screened in cinemas.
• The Science in School Student Writing Contest 2026 is a free international competition for students aged 14-19. Individuals or teams write a 1,500-2,000-word science article about sustainable and resilient tourism, focusing on a specific research project, technology, intervention or local solution. Three winning articles will be published in Science in School, and the deadline is 1 August 2026.
• The Ink of Ages Fiction Prize is a free international historical and mythology-inspired fiction competition run by the non-profit World History Encyclopedia and sponsored by Oxford University Press. Its Youth Prize is open to writers aged 13-17, who can submit an 800-1,000-word story set more than 50 years ago. Entries close on 22 August 2026.
• The Clevedon LitFest Poetry Award is open to UK residents aged 16 and over. Entrants can submit an unpublished poem of up to 40 lines. Entry costs £6, with prizes of £300, £100 and £50, and the deadline is 22 August 2026.
• The Clevedon LitFest Flash Fiction Award is open to UK residents aged 16 and over. Entries can be up to 500 words, the entry fee is £6, and prizes of £300, £100 and £50 are available. The deadline is 22 August 2026.

Closing date in September

• Calibre Audio Inclusive Voices Short Story Competition – a free competition inviting stories or poems of up to 550 words on the theme of empathy. Open to all ages, with categories for under 11s, 12-17, 18-25 and 26 and over. Entries close on 13 September 2026.
• The Observer and Redstone Press Postcard Story Prize 2026 is open to writers of all ages and backgrounds. Entrants can submit up to three stories, poems or other pieces of text of no more than 250 words in response to a choice of postcard images. Three winners will each receive £300, publication in The Observer and a place on an Arvon online masterclass. The deadline is 1 September 2026.
• Books From Children To Children is a free annual summer writing competition for children aged 4-11 attending UK primary schools. The 2026 theme is Climate Change and the Environment, and entrants can submit one story with no stipulated minimum or maximum word count. Winning stories will be included in an anthology, and entries close on 11 September 2026.
• Lepe Country Park’s Pollinator Writing Competition, run by Hampshire County Council, invites poems or short stories of up to 1,000 words inspired by pollinators. It includes children’s categories for ages 4-11 and 11-17, has no entry fee, and closes on 18 September 2026.
• Mere Literary Festival‘s Children’s and Young People’s Writing Competition invites children up to 10 years old and young people aged 11-15 to submit writing of up to 800 words on the theme of Adventure. With book token prizes on offer, this contest is open to children in the UK.
• Crowvus Ghost Story Competition is free to enter for children up to 16, who can submit up to 4000 words in a Word file. The winner will receive a £50 Ghost Osa Award.
• Inclusive Voices is a writing competition run by Calibre Audio. For 2026, entrants can submit a written, audio or video story or poem of up to 550 words on an empathy-led theme showing life from another person’s perspective. Age categories are under 11, 12-17, 18-25 and 26 and over; the competition is open to UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man residents and runs from 4 June to 13 September 2026.
• World Record attempt for World Poetry Day – this is not a competition, but a challenge. Your school could participate in Laura Mucha’s plan to involve 60,000+ 7-12-year-old students in writing a poem about ‘what counts’. Full sign-up details can be found on the National Poetry Day website.
• The Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize is open to students aged 11-19 in school, college or sixth form. Entrants submit up to 1,500 words in a chosen form, demonstrating creative and critical engagement with an adaptation of Shakespeare.
• The Yorkshire Festival of Story Children’s Story Competition invites short stories from UK children aged 7-12.
• Taradiddle Young Writer Contests are also open in September. (More details in the March section).

Closing date in October

• Blossom and Buzz, a free writing challenge from The Poetry Society’s Young Poets Network, is open to writers aged up to 25 anywhere in the world. Entrants are invited to write a poem about flowers, insects or the relationship between them, with no word or line limit. The deadline is 11.59pm BST on 4 October 2026.
• The Britain’s Last Roman Hoards Short Story Competition invites 11-17-year-olds to write a story of up to 1,000 words inspired by one of the late Roman treasure hoards featured by the University of Kent research project. Prizes are £50, £30 and two £15 runner-up prizes, and entries close at 6pm on 20 October 2026.
• The Michael Rosen Day 2026 Poetry Competition, run by Walker Books, asks UK children aged 5-12 in Years 1-7 to write a poem of no more than 100 words on the theme Silly School Stuff. Four winning poems will be read by Michael Rosen during the official Michael Rosen Day livestream, and winners receive signed book bundles for themselves and their school or library. Entries must be submitted by a school or home school and close on 21 October 2026.
• Warwickshire Young Poet Laureate is open to 13-17-year-olds who live and are educated in Warwickshire. Applicants submit three poems and a personal statement, and the selected poet represents Warwickshire Libraries at events during the year. The 2026 deadline is 1st October.
• The Freedom from Torture Worlds into Words Poetry Competition invites poems from writers worldwide on the theme Worlds into Words. Poems should preferably be no longer than 40 lines. Entry costs £1 for under-18s and is free for anyone with lived experience as a refugee. The deadline is 5pm on 9 October 2026.
• The Lions International Peace Essay Contest, supported in the UK by VICTA, is open to children with a vision impairment who will be aged 11, 12 or 13 on 15 November 2026. Entrants write an essay of up to 500 words on the theme Harmony in Humanity. The international grand prize is US$5,000, and the VICTA deadline is 31 October 2026.
• The Waltham Forest Poetry Competition invites young poets to submit up to six poems on the 2026 theme of MUSIC. Entry is free for young poets, with national prizes and additional awards for people who live, work or study in Waltham Forest. The deadline is midnight on 19 October 2026.
• Then & Now, from TogetherintheUK, is offering first or second-generation migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, international students or international workers who have lived or currently live in the UK, the chance to win £250. Under 18s can enter a poem or lyrics to a song, an essay or a short story based on a prescribed theme. For more details, see the competition website.
• Poem 99 competition – 5-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-16-year-olds can enter up to 20 lines of poetry on a prescribed theme. There is an entry fee for this competition.
• The Young Walter Scott Prize invites writers aged 11-19 to submit historical fiction set before they were born. Stories must be between 800 and 2,000 words, and the 2026 closing date is 31 October.
• The Solstice Nature Prize For Young Writers, organised by Writing East Midlands, is a free annual UK writing competition for young people aged 7-25. Entrants can submit a short story or blog of up to 500 words or a poem of up to 40 lines exploring nature, the environment or climate change. There are four age categories: 7-11, 12-14, 15-17 and 18-25, with national and East Midlands regional prizes. The deadline is 10 October 2026.
• The Immerse Essay Competition offers teens aged 13-18 the opportunity to write an essay choosing from a range of topics, including architecture, science, law, international relations, medicine, economics, creative writing and many more. There are two age groups: 13-15 and 16-18.

Undated or open

• Student Voices, from The Day, gives students at member schools the opportunity to submit articles and videos. The Global Young Journalist Awards moved to Student Voices for member schools, and full submission guidance is available on The Day’s website.
• National Theatre New Views is a nationwide playwriting programme for young people aged 14-19. Participating schools, colleges and groups work with professional playwrights, and students write original plays for the annual New Views programme.
• Canterbury Children’s Literature Festival’s Go Wild with Stories Writing Competition invites young people to submit written stories, comics, illustrated stories or poetry on the annual festival theme. The competition includes 5-11 and 12-16 age ranges, with selected entries forming part of a festival story trail.
• Scottish Book Trust runs 50 Word Fiction competitions, inviting entrants to write a 50-word story in response to a prompt. The page includes current monthly prompts and young-writer winners.
• Kids’ Poetry Club runs a variety of competitions for primary and secondary-aged children, with a new theme announced every few months.
• The Young Poets Network runs regular writing challenges and competitions, which can be viewed on their website.
• BBC Today Student Journalism Awards – this competition features a variety of journalism categories, including journalism (any medium), broadcasting, visual and photojournalism, criticism, publication, and programme. Entrants must be over 18 and in full-time UK higher education. The prizes include places on highly coveted BBC Journalism Trainee Schemes (paid positions).
• BBC Writers Room is inviting speculative screenplay submissions of at least 30 pages from young scriptwriters aged 16+ in the UK or the Republic of Ireland.
• Blue Things Zine invites young writers aged 13+ to write articles and stories under 1500 words for consideration for publication.
• Scholastic We Are Writers – not a competition per se, but lots of ideas for literacy and writing projects with the aim of getting your pupils published. Ideal for fundraisers or whole-school writing initiatives.
• Inkhead short story competition and writing clubs.
• Amnesty International has a series of online resources – ‘Words That Burn‘ – to inspire teenagers to write about human rights, equality and discrimination.
• National Literacy Trust competitions page.
• The Guild of Food Writers Write It – Young Food Writer of the Year – is open to children up to 18 in three age categories.
• Live Canon: Children’s Poetry Competition – for young people aged 5-18.
• For a non-competitive option, the John Muir Award offers schools an opportunity to “encourage people of all backgrounds to connect with, enjoy and care for wild places.” Through an award scheme, pupils can create a dossier of experiences, challenges and presentations to demonstrate how they have discovered a wild place, explored it, done something to conserve it and shared their experience. A good option for larger groups, classes and year groups, this award requires teacher input and planning. Suitable for year 4 through to secondary-aged pupils.
• The First Story Young Writers Festival offers pupils a day-long online festival with workshops, resources, interviews with writers, showcases for young writers, and CPD for teachers. This is a fantastic resource to inspire children to write for publication and would make a great starting point for pupils considering entering writing competitions. (Note the festival is not running a competition of its own.)

Resources for creative writing in schools and at home

Websites

• Hoo’s Writing Corner – an exciting, creative writing website for primary-aged children. The website includes writing prompts and exercises, and the monthly subscription magazine includes story construction ideas and spelling worksheets.

Books

• Below is a collection of books recommended to inspire children to write, whether it be creative writing, nonfiction, or poetry.