Young Writer Competitions
Young Writer Competitions Introduction
Last updated 31st March 2026
This resource lists many writing competitions, contests, prizes, awards and challenges for young writers and child authors. The young writer competitions listed are often aimed at students in full-time education.
In the tables, you will find many publishing opportunities for young authors across a variety of age ranges, including children, kids, students and young writers up to around the age of 25 (please note, the upper age limit does vary depending on which competitions are open and their submission guidelines).
I will try and keep the lists on this page up-to-date, but please check the rules and terms & conditions on the different contest websites before entering. I'm not a legal expert, but if you have any questions relating to publishing terms and conditions please send me a message and I'll do my best to answer it.
PLEASE NOTE: Most of the young writer competitions listed on this page accept entries from authors living anywhere in the world. The country each award is run from is listed so you know which global market you are submitting to.
Each listing contains information about a contest's name, closing date, the date they announce winners, the maximum number of words accepted, the entry fee (if there is one - many of the competitions are free to enter) and the top prize. In the notes, I try to include details of the age young writers have to be to enter.
Do You Want Your Young Writer Competitions Added To This Page?
If you run young writer competitions for children, kids or students and would like me to add them to my lists, please contact me and provide ALL of the following information:
- How often you will be running the competition (eg, annually, quarterly, one-off)
- The name of your competition
- A link to your website
- The country you run the competition from
- Closing date
- Date you announce winners
- Maximum word count of stories
- Entry fee
- Top prize
- Any other details, including how winning writers' stories will be published and any theme or limitation on style/genre of stories accepted - please also include details of how old writers have to be to submit
I will add more publishing opportunities / young writer competitions for children to this page as I hear about them.
Young Writer Competitions List
The table below lists young writer competitions that run regularly (EG, annually, quarterly, biennially etc.). Some of them have different age categories, so click on the links and be sure to read all the rules before you enter.
| Young Writer Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize | Young Writer Competition Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazing Young Writers Challenge | UK | Always Open | NA | 100 | FREE | See notes | Open to any form of creative writing, including stories, poems, non-fiction: absolutely anything - every submission is published online and the writer receives a Certificate of Publication |
| Arizona Mystery Writers Mary Ann Hutchison Memorial Story Contest for Youths | USA | January | May | 2,500 | FREE | $50 | For writers aged 7 to 19 - the theme is mystery, suspense, or thriller - all entrants receive feedback - winners are published online and receive a certificate |
| Australasian Association of Writing Programs Sudden Writing Prize | Australia | June | September | See notes | $5 | $500 | For writers aged 25 and under - 400 words (prose), 40 lines (poetry), or 200 words (prose poetry) - winner published on the Express Media website - winner also receives a Voiceworks subscription and a one-year membership to the AAWP |
| BBC Radio 2 500 Words Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 500 | FREE | See notes | Any style / genre - for ages 5 to 13 - entrants must be resident in the UK - winners receive books + 500 books for their school - winners' stories are read on the radio by incredibly famous people, heard by around 10 million listeners - doesn't always run every year |
| Burnham Book Festival Writing Competition | UK | February | May | 500 | £2 | £30 | Any style / genre - entry is free for residents of Somerset & North Somerset - winners published in anthology - they accept short stories and poetry |
| C.A.A.B Publishing Story Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | See notes | Any style / genre but often themed, so check website for current details - prizes vary: in the past they have been bundles of books, book vouchers etc. - winners published in anthology and receive a free eBook copy - to find competition details, look in the 'Submitting To Us' section of their website |
| Chaucer Heritage Trust's Canterbury Tales Writing Competition | UK | February | Summer | 500 | FREE | £300 | Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current theme - three age groups: junior 5-10 years old, intermediate 11-14 years old and senior 15-18 years old - in addition to prize money, the winner receives £1000 for their school - winners and highly commended entries published on website |
| Cheshire Prize for Literature | UK | January | July | See notes | FREE | Book tokens | Age categories are: primary (4-11) and secondary (11-18), open to both short stories and poetry - poetry should be a maximum of 100 lines, short stories should be a maximum of 1,500 words - competition is open to anyone who has a connection to Cheshire, Wirral, Warrington or Halton i.e. lived worked or studied there |
| Coram Voice 'Voices' Writing Competition | UK | February | April | 500 | FREE | See notes | Any style or genre but themed, so check website for current details - for children writers in care and care leavers up to the age of 25 - prizes vary and have been things like shopping vouchers in the past - shortlisted entries published on website and in a printed book - to find current competition info, look in the "Get Involved" section of the website |
| Crowvus Christmas Ghost Story Competition | Scotland | Varies | Varies | 4,000 | FREE | £50 | Ghost stories - prize is a £50 gift card - winner published in anthology - also run contest for adults |
| Deepings Literary Festival Short Story Competition | UK | March | ? | 500 | FREE | See notes | Any style or genre but themed, so check website for current details - for 8 to 15s - top prize is a £30 book token - winners published in "I’d Rather be in Deeping" magazine |
| D.H. Lawrence Children's Prize: Writing Competition | UK | May | June | 500 | FREE | A Kindle | Open to prose and poetry - themes vary so check website for current details - launches on World Book Day each year - winners published online - to find the competition page, put "Lawrence Prize" into the website search function |
| Digital Dreamers Magazine | UK | Varies | Varies | 3,000 | FREE | None | Any style / genre but sometimes themed, so check website for current details - for writers aged 10 to 25 - they publish 3 or 4 times a year - . 3,000 words max for prose, 400 lines for poetry - this publication is all about young writers gaining experience by having their work published - they accept writing of any form, poetry of any form, art, photography, trends writing and tutorials |
| Fresher Publishing's Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies | Any style / genre - for children in school years 3 to 6 (aged 11 or under) - top prize usually vouchers or books - shortlisted stories published in a book - they also accept poems - Fresher Publishing is part of Bournemouth University |
| Fusilli Flash Fiction | UK | Varies | Varies | 200 | FREE | None | Any style / genre but stories must contain a twist - winners published on website and promoted on social media - every time 100 stories are received, a winner is announced - each writer can enter one story per round - for writers aged under 16 |
| Future Scholar Foundation Short Story Competition | USA | Monthly | Monthly | 350 | FREE | $25 | Any style / genre - for writers aged from 4 to 14 - winning writers' (1st-3rd place and one runner up) will have their work published in the website’s Hall of Fame. |
| Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition (HCGEC) | USA | February | March | 500 | $20, or $15 if you use coupon code CLUB-CF | $1,000 | There are three essay prompts in each category (creative, argumentative and journalistic) - for students aged 13-18 - lots of extra goodies for winner and generous runner-up prizes - winners published online |
| H G Wells Short Story Competition For Young Writers | UK | July | September | Varies | FREE | Varies | Rules vary year to year and there is usually a theme, so check website for current details - prize varies too, but has been anywhere from £100 to £1,000 in the past - also run a comp for adults |
| Hen Harrier Day Young Wild Writer Competition | UK | July | August | 500 | FREE | See notes | Any style or subject but themed so check website for current details - three age categories: 6-8, 9-12 and 13-16 - any writing style accepted (story, poem, article, letter etc.) and top prize: RSPB Puffin Binoculars, £50 book token and online author visit for school by a children’s author - winners invited to read their entry at an event - to find the competition page, look at the "Get Involved" section of their website |
| Immerse Education Essay Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | See notes | Any style or subject but visit their website for a list of current topics - for students aged 13 to 18 - prize is a scholarship for one of Immerse Education’s residential or online academic programmes - current competition details are usually somewhere on their homepage |
| IndigoTeen Magazine | Australia | not applicable | not applicable | 20,000 | FREE | None | Any style / genre - for writers aged between 13 and 19 - they accept short stories, essays and novellas, from 100 words to 20,000 words in length - they also accept memes, comics, fan fiction, poetry, graphic design and artwork - to find the magazine, look in the "IndigoPrints" section of the website |
| Ink of Ages Fiction Prize | UK | August | February | 1,000 | FREE | See notes | Entries must be historical or mythology-inspired - top prize is books, custom artowkr and other goodies provided by Oxford University Press and World History Encyclopedia - winners will be published on World History Encyclopedia, a publication with over eight million monthly readers - they also run a competition for adults aged 18+ |
| Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project Essay Contest | USA | May | May | 500 to 900 words (2-3 pages) | FREE | £500 | Any style but based on different books/topics/themes, so check website for current details - winners published on website |
| Libra Essay Prize | UK | June | July | 2,000 | FREE | Varies | Any style, subject or theme, but essays must be written responding to a single-word essay title, so check website for current details - entrants must be students in years 12 or 13 of UK education - winners published on website - top prize has been up to £150 in the past - you can find the prize page in the 'Resources' or 'Outreach' section of the website |
| Light Bringer Project's Tomorrow Prize | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies | Science fiction - for students enrolled in a Los Angeles County high school - top prize has been up to $250 in the past - look in 'Programs' or 'Omega Sci-Fi Awards' to find current competition details |
| Marlborough LitFest's Love Books Competition | UK | June | September | 750 | FREE | £300 | Write about your favourite book, poem or play - when the competition is running, you will find the details near the top of the homepage |
| National Flash Fiction Youth Competition | UK | February | ? | 360 | FREE | £100 | Any style / genre - for current AS-level, A-level, or Scottish Higher students aged 15–19 and studying in the UK - prizes paid in book vouchers / tokens - winner published in Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine and on website - run by Uni of Chester - to find competition, put "youth competition" into the website's search function |
| Pitch Magazine Young Sports Journalist Competition | UK | April | May | 700 | FREE | £50 | Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - for writers aged 14-21 - winner offered work experience at Pitch HQ - winning entries published online and in Pitch |
| Polar Expressions Student Writing Contest | Canada | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | See notes | Any style / genre - open to Canadian students in kindergarten through to grade twelve - prizes vary depending on age, so check the website - winners published in an anthology |
| R C Sherriff Trust's Elmbridge Literary Competition | UK | February | Varies | Varies | FREE | See notes | Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - winners published in a Chapbook published by Sampson Low - look in the 'Current Projects' section of the website to find competition details - categories for children: 5 to 7, 8 to 11, 11 to 13, 14 to 18 all with a variety of cash prizes and word limits, so check website for full details |
| RidhzWorld Publishing's Once Upon In Our Minds Competition | India | September | December | See notes | $5 | See notes | Any style or genre - for young writers aged between 5 and 16 - no maximum word count but minimum requirements are: 5 to 8 years 399 words, 9 to 12 years 699 words and 13 to 16 years 1,999 words - winning stories will be published internationally across multiple platforms, giving young authors a chance to see their work in print and reach a global audience - winners also receive a dedicated author page and an invitation to be on the Vodcast “B’coz I can with Ridhhaan” |
| The Day's Student Voices | UK | Open all year | Open all year | 500 | FREE | See notes | For students aged 18 or under - open to opinion articles or videos on any topic - weekly and yearly prizes available, check website for current details - everyone who enters will receive feedback and, if not published, will be given advice for improvement |
| The Blue Bell Review | India | Varies | Varies | 2,500 | FREE | None | 2,500 words max, 50 words min - a quarterly student-led magazine for young writers aged 6 to 16 living anywhere in the world - they accept writing (poetry, short stories, essays, op-eds, book reviews), audio (podcasts, audio essays, spoken word, music), video (short films, animations, video essays) and visual art (paintings, drawings, digital art, photography) |
| The Incandescent Review | USA | Varies | Varies | 6 pages | FREE | None | Quarterly magazine that accepts fiction, prose, poetry, art and music - you must be aged between 13 and 24 to submit |
| The Royal Commonwealth Society 'Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition' | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies | Check website for current topics - for writers aged 18 and under - prizes vary, but in past prizes have included certificates, resources for schools, visits to London and activities /work experience at international organisations - winners published in worldwide media - usually mentioned on homepage, but if not, put 'essay competition' into their site search |
| Young Walter Scott Prize | UK | October | Spring | 2,000 | FREE | See notes | Historical - 2 categories, 11 to 15 and 16 to 19 - winners offered a travel and research grant + invitation to the Borders Book Festival in Scotland, runners-up receive £100 book token - winners and runners-up published in anthology |
Poetry Competitions For Young Writers & Children
This table lists young writer competitions that focus on poetry. The contests are all aimed at young adults and children.
| Young Writer Poetry Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Lines | Entry Fee | Top Prize | Young Writer Poetry Competition Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton & Hove Arts Council Sussex Poetry Competition | UK | October | November | 40 lines | FREE | £150 | Any style, subject or theme -winners published on website and invited to read at the festival - selected poems will be displayed on Brighton & Hove buses - when running, the competition details can usually be found at the top of homepage but you can also put "competition" into their website's search box - they also run a competition for adults |
| Christopher Tower Poetry Prize Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 48 lines | FREE | £3,000 | Themed, so check website for current details - for 16 to 18 year olds in full time education - winners published on website |
| Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award | UK | July | October | No max | FREE | See notes | Any style, subject or theme - for ages 11 to 17 - winners receive a range of prizes, from mentoring to residential Arvon writing courses, Poetry Society membership and books |
| Fresher Publishing's Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies | Any style, subject or theme - for children in school years 3 to 6 (aged 11 or under) - top prize usually vouchers or books - shortlisted poems published in a book - they also accept short stories - Fresher Publishing is part of Bournemouth University |
| Ledbury Poetry Festival Poetry Competition | UK | July | ? | 40 lines | FREE | Varies | Any style, subject or theme - 2 categories: 12 to 17 years and 11 and under - prizes vary but have been up to £100 in the past |
| Live Canon Young Writer's Poetry Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | No max | FREE | Varies | Any style, subject or theme - 100 winning poems published in anthology - multiple categories for different age groups |
| Morrab Library's Patricia Eschen Prize for Poetry | UK | July | October | 40 lines | FREE | See notes | Any style, subject or theme - two categories: 4–11 £75 top prize, 12-17 £150 top prize - they also run a competition for adults - runs every other year - to find the current competition page, look in the "What's On" section of the website |
| Never Such Innocence Poetry Competition | UK | February | April | One A4 page | FREE | See notes | Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - for 9 to 18 year olds - open to poetry, art and song - all participants receive a personalised certificate - winners work is published in a booklet and read at events |
| New Zealand Poetry Society International Poetry Competition | New Zealand | May | July | See notes | See notes | See notes | Any style or subject or theme - there two categories: Open, 32 lines max, entry fee $2.50, top prize $200 / Haiku: entry fee $1, top prize $100 - to find the competition details, put "competition" into the website's search box - they also have adult categories |
| Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival Poetry Competition | UK | January | February | 30 lines | FREE | See notes | Any style or subject, but themed so check website for full details - 2 categories for young writers: up to 11 years old (£50 prize) and 12–17 years old (£100 prize) - all winning and shortlisted poems published in a pamphlet |
| Wax Poetry and Art Magazine's Poetry Contest | Canada | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Any style or subject, but themed, so check website for current details - entrants must be under 25 years old - winners published online and in Wax Poetry and Art Magazine - look in the 'Submissions' section of their site, then hold down the ctrl key and press F, then search for 25 to find the details quickly |
| Wells Festival of Literature International Young Poets Competition | UK | June | October | 40 lines | £3 | £200 | Any style, subject or theme - winner also receives a year's subscription to The Poetry Society - winners published online - they also run a poetry competition for adults |
| Wimbledon Bookfest Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies | Any style or subject but themed so check website for current details - winners published in Bookfest Book of Stories anthology - multiple age categories that are subject to change, so check website for current details |
| Winchester Poetry Festival's Hampshire Young Poets Competition | UK | July | October | 14 lines | FREE | £50 | Any style or subject but themed so check website for current details - for young people in Hampshire, UK - three age categories: 4-7 years, 8-11 years and 12-16 years - first prize in each category is a £50 National Book Token plus a £50 P&G Wells Book Token for the winner’s school to spend on poetry books - to find the competition details, look in the "Community Projects" section of the website |
One-Off Young Writer Competitions
Here is a list of one-off young writer competitions for children and students.
Contests that have already taken place will be moved to the History of Closed Young Writer Competitions below.
| One-Off Young Writer Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize | One-Off Young Writer Competition Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Writers Competition | UK | 31st January 2026 | 14th March 2026 | 2,000 | FREE | £100 Amazon gift card | For children aged 13-16 - the theme is Social Media - the competition is part of an academic research project at Keele University exploring how young people interpret and represent social media |
| No more one-off comps to list at present | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | Notes on no other one-offs to list at present: more coming soon... |
Other Opportunities for Young Writers
There are sometimes other opportunities for young writers listed on my Flash Fiction competitions page and my non-fiction /essay competition lists.
On the non-fiction contests page, you will often find details of scholarships.
Here are details of other websites that list young writer competitions:
- Imagination Soup
- New Pages
- School Reading List
- TCK Publishing
- The John Fox (a bit out of date, but still useful)
- Writers Write
A History of Closed Young Writer Competitions
For reference, here is a list of young writer competitions that have run in the past but are now closed.
| Young Writer Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize | Young Writer Competition Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blandford Rotary Short Story & Poetry Competition | UK | September | November | 1,000 | £3 | £50 | Any style / genre - there is a category for under 18s - in addition to cash prizes, there is an award ceremony, cups, certificates, readings and other goodies - to find the current details put "competition" into their website's search box - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2025 |
| Boccia Short Story Competition | UK | 6th May 2022 | 23rd May 2022 | 2,000 | FREE | £50 | Any style or genre but all entries must feature the disability sport of boccia in some way - winners of each category (under 18s and adults) will receive the top prize, paid as an Amazon gift card - winning entries (and up to two runners up per category) published on website - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| Celebration Day Writing Competition | UK | 21st June 2022 | 24th June 2022 | 250 / 500 | FREE | £100 but see notes | Any style or genre - word limit is 250 words for primary school pupils, or 500 words for secondary school students - top prize is £100 Amazon gift card - winning entries will be read out by celebrities and published on The Day's website |
| Cheshire Prize for Literature | UK | 31st January 2022 | 30th June 2022 | See notes | FREE | Book tokens | Four categories: Short story: maximum 1,500 words; Poetry: maximum 100 lines; Children’s literature: maximum 1,500 words / 100 lines; Scriptwriting: maximum 15 minutes in length - competition is open to anyone who has a connection to Cheshire, Wirral and Halton i.e. lived worked or studied there - age categories: 4 – 7: Poetry and Short Stories; 8 – 10: Poetry and Short Stories; 11-13: Poetry and Short Stories; 14-16: Poetry, Short Stories and Scriptwriting; 17-18: Poetry, Short Stories and Scriptwriting; 19-24: All categories - winners of each category will have the opportunity to appear in the Anthology, published by University of Chester Press - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| Curry Mallet Children's Short Story Competition | UK | June | September | 500 | £3 | £35 | Any style / genre but themed so check the website for current details - 2 categories: under 11s and 12-16 - 3 winning stories receive feedback from a published author - NOT RUN SINCE 2015, so removed listing in 2017 |
| Earth4All's Stories of the Future Creative Challenge | Switzerland | 30th June 2024 | July 2024 | 800 | FREE | See notes | Any style / genre but themed: “What does the future hold for young people around the world? Young writers are invited to imagine a world where we have taken bold collective action on global challenges and tell stories of how our actions today will impact the lives of those growing up tomorrow.” - judges include Owen Gaffney, chief innovation officer at the Nobel Prize - top prize is a 50 EUR book voucher plus publication in digital magazine and a book -CLOSED, was a one-off |
| Essex Life Magazine & Mighty Pens Young Writer Award | UK | 12th March 2022 | March 2024 | See notes | FREE | £20 | Any style / genre - open to young writers living In Essex - three categories: up to age 9 (500 words max), age 10 to 13 (500 words max) and age 14 to 16 (750 words max) - one prize winner from each category wins a £20 book token, an invitation to an NSPCC Childhood Day event, publication in Essex Life and will have their work read by industry professionals - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| GEMA International Short Story Writing Competition | UAE | Biannually | Biannually | 1,500 | $10 | See notes | Any style / genre - there are four categories: sub-junior (7-8 years), junior (9-11 years), middle (12-14 years), senior (15-18 years) - prizes in each category include trophies, medals, certificates, writing courses and Kidzania passes - top 20 stories published in a children's storybook in paperback and eBook formats - SITE WAS HACKED IN 2024, so had to remove listing unfortunately |
| Glittery Literary Cherished Children's Story Contest | UK | Varies | Varies | 500 | £2 | £20 | Any style / genre - winners published in Glittery Literary book - has run monthly in the past but more recently once a quarter - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2022 |
| Lil Author Skool 'Little Big Book' Competition | UK | Biannual | Biannual | 2,000 | FREE* | See notes | Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current theme - for entrants aged 21 and under - winner receives a goody bag and their story is published on the Lil Author Skool website - first entry is free, subsequent entries £2 - there are 2 categories for entry: little category ages 5-11 and the BIG category ages 12-21 years - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2022 |
| Lune Spark Young Writers' Short Story Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 1,500 | $15 | $500 | Any style / genre - 2 categories: 10 to 13 years and 13 to 16 years - winners published in anthology that's made available in eBook, paperback, hardback, and audio formats - no longer mentioned on website, so removed listing in 2024 |
| Magic Daisy Publishing Children's Poetry Competition | UK | Biannually | Biannually | 35 lines | FREE | See notes | Any style or subject - spring comp has an open theme, winter comp has a Christmas theme - for writers aged 4 to 11 - prize is winning poems will feature on the Magic Daisy website and in a poetry book - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2025 |
| Magic Daisy Short Story Writing Competition | UK | 31st July 2022 | 30th September 2022 | See notes | £4 | See notes | Any style / genre - for entrants aged 4 to 11 years - EYFS/KS1 word limit is 250 words and KS2 word limit is 1,000 words - the winning stories from each category will be turned into books which will be available from the Magic Daisy Bookshop - winners will receive one free copy of their book - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| Mane Chance Children's Writing Competition | UK | July | July | 1,500 | £5/£2 | £50 | Any style / genre themed around animals - winners will be published on Mane Chance website, in Surrey Occasions and a newspaper, the title of which is TBC - 3 categories: under 10 (£2 entry), 11 to 14 (£5 entry) and 15 to 18 (£5 entry) - there is also an adult category which you can find in the annual competition list above - CLOSED 2016 |
| Mere Literary Festival Children’s and Young People’s Writing Competition | UK | 30th September 2025 | October 2025 | 800 | FREE | £50 book tokens | The theme is "animals" and you can write on the theme as a short story, poem, description or in any way you like - two categories: up to 10 years and 11 to 15 years - winners published on festival website - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| Mighty Pens Pearl Pavlova Young Illustrators Award | UK | 30th September 2021 | October 2021 | NA | FREE | See notes | Draw and develop a character for the new Pearl Pavlova book series - two age categories: 4-7 and 8-14 - prize is winners' characters will be included in the new book - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| Norfolk Day Drabble Writing Competition | UK | 30th June 2021 | 27th July 2021 | 100 | FREE | See notes | Any style, subject or theme - winners get a bundle of online courses - winner published in EDP - 3 categories: ages 5 to 10, ages 11 to 17 and 18+ - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| Omonefe's Redefiners Writing Challenge | Nigeria | June | July | 900 | NGN 1,000 (approx £2 / $2.50) | NGN 50,000 (approx £100 / $130) | Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - top 20 stories published in the Redefiners Anthology - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2021 |
| Otterpool Park Story Writing Competition | UK | 8th January 2023 | February 2023 | 500 | FREE | £100 | Any style / genre but based on prompts, so check the website for full details - for young writers aged between 8 and 14 - winner's story will be published on the Otterpool Park website and performed by professional storytelling artist Emily Hanna-Grazebrook during National Storytelling Week in February 2023 - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| Oxford Festival of the Arts Stories: By & For Children | UK | 2nd May 2016 | May | 1,000 | FREE | See notes | Any style or genre, but entries must be by or for children - winners invited to read their stories during an event at Oxford Festival of the Arts in June 2016 - CLOSED 2016 |
| Pak Learners Short Story Competition | Pakistan | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,000 | $8 | $500 | Any style / genre - for students in student Grade 06 to 12 (in the Pakistan school system) - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2021 |
| Principia Perspectives | USA | April | June | See notes | FREE | $200 | Any style, subject but themed, so check website for current details - 2 categories: middle school and high school - word limits are 600 words for middle school and 800 words for high school - winners published on website - competition no longer mentioned on website, so removed the listing in 2024 |
| Print Express Children’s Short Story Competition | UK | 31st March 2017 | 14th April 2017 | 500 | FREE | See notes | Any style or genre - top prize is £50 in book tokens and £175 in book tokens for the winner's school - open to children between 5 and 13 (two age brackets - 5 to 9 and 10 to 13) - winners published on the website - this is a one-off competition - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| Print Express Flash Fiction Competition | UK | 31st July 2016 | 5th August 2016 | 150 | FREE | £100* | Any style or genre - prize paid in Amazon vouchers - winner published on website - ONE-OFF CLOSED 2016 |
| Print What Matters 'Write Christmas' Competition | UK | November | December | 200 | FREE | See notes | Any style / genre but themed around Christmas - open to children aged between 4 and 11 - winner receives a stocking filled with £50 worth of goodies and winner's primary school receives £1,500 - top 50 entries published in an e-book - NOT RUN since 2016, so removed listing 2019 |
| Reader's Digest 100-Word-Story Competition | UK | May | June | 100 | FREE | See notes | Any style / genre but entries must be exactly 100 words in length - winners published on Reader's Digest website - there are 2 categories for children: under 12s and 12 to 18-year-olds - prizes are book vouchers and other goodies - competition no longer mentioned on website so removed listing 2024 |
| Salisbury Literary Festival Story Prize | UK | September | October | 500 | FREE | £50 | Any style / genre, but must use a given story title, so see website for full details - 2 categories: primary school children aged under 11; secondary school children aged between 12 and 18 - winners published in Salisbury Journal - prize given in vouchers, winner receives £50 and so does their school - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing during 2022 update |
| Saugus Ghost Story Competition | USA | October | Halloween | 24 pages | FREE | T-Shirt | Ghost stories appropriate for any age group - 4 categories: Adult, High School, Middle School and Elementary school - winners published on website during October - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2025 |
| SMK Contests | USA | November | January | Varies | $5 | $100 | Any style / genre - they have multiple categories for flash fiction, poetry, short story, non-fiction, novel and more, so check website for full details - children's category is for 13 to 18 year olds - NOT RUN SINCE 2022, so removed listing 2025 |
| Soldiers' Arts Academy International Poetry Competition | UK | September | October | 40 lines | FREE | See notes | Any style, subject or theme - open to members of the military community (i.e. serving personnel, veterans and their families) aged 12 to 17 - winner receives a selection of poetry books - winners published on website - to find the competition details, look in the 'Projects' section of their website - NOT RUN SINCE 2022, so removed listing 2025 |
| Tamworth Literary Festival's Writing Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | See notes | FREE | See notes | Any style or genre - winners published in anthology - 2 categories: 11 to 16 year olds, 1,000 words, £75 top prize; under 11 year olds, 500 words, £50 top prize - there are also cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd place in both categories - NOT RUN SINCE 2020, so removed listing during 2022 update |
| The Wicked Young Writer Awards | UK | March | June | 750 | FREE | See notes | Any style / genre - for 5 to 25 year olds - the prizes vary so check the website for current details - 20 finalists in 5 different age categories, plus 20 finalists in a non-fiction category will be published in the Wicked Young Writer Awards anthology - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2024 |
| Together in the UK "Then & Now” Writing Competition | UK | 31st October 2025 | 31st January 2026 | 1,500 | FREE | £250 | For under 18s - they accept poems, song lyrics, essays and short stories - the competition is online so every entry is public - the top 10 are decided by public vote and those ten are then judged by independent judges - winners might be published an anthology - they also run a comp 18 years and over - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| Walt Whitman Film 'East Rock Films' Student Essay Contest | USA | January | March | 1,000 | FREE | $500 | Any style / genre but based on a questions, so see website for full details - for high school or college students from U.S. or Canada - they accept traditional essays, video essays and performance essays - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2025 |
| WGM Atlantic Young Writers' Short Story Competition | UK | 20th June 2020 | 15th July 2020 | See notes | FREE | £75 | Any style / genre but themed around favourite animals - for children aged between 5 and 12 - 2 categories: 5-8 (500 word limit) and 9-12 (750 word limit) - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| Wild Words | UK | 19th November 2023 | Rolling | 30 lines | FREE | NA | Any style - for writers aged up to 18 - all submissions published online - 50 winning poems published in eBook anthology - CLOSED, was a one-off |
| William J. Kite's The Writing Tournament | Australia | July | ? | 750 | FREE | $200 | Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - two categories: 8-11 and 12-16 - winning stories are read on YouTube, professionally edited and the writers receive feedback - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2024 |
| WordHound's Writing Challenge | UK | Varies | Varies | 300 | FREE | See notes | Any style / genre but they each have a topic, so check website for details - entrants must be aged 12 or under - prizes vary but have been goodie-bags of sweets and stationery in the past - winners published on blog - competition no longer mentioned on website, so removed listing 2024 |
| Writing Times Children's Writing Competition | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,500 | FREE | A book | Any style / genre but themed so check website for current details - prize is any book up to £10 in value - winners published in the Writing Times - also a prize for drawing - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED, so removed from lists Jan 2018 |
More Writing Advice
I hope you found this "Young Writer Competitions" page helpful. You can find lots of other writing tips and advice in the Advice section of this website.
Comments
This website was established in 2011. In 2024, it was redesigned. Between 2011 and 2024, thousands of people commented on the site. I’d like to thank every person for their engagement – it’s greatly appreciated.
When the site was rebuilt, transferring comments comprising hundreds of thousands of words was not feasible on most pages. The Young Writer Competitions page comments are an exception and they appear below. New comments are welcome. Please feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions.
Ire B
It's a good resource, thanks.
Chris Fielden
Thanks Ire 🙂
Philbert M
How can I get more competition links?
Chris Fielden
Thanks for your message, Philbert.
You can check out the other competition lists and publishing opportunities on my website. You can also sign up to my email list. The newsletters I send out contain details of lots of contests.
I hope that helps 🙂
Philbert M
Thank you, Chris. This is Philbert. I am trying to get into writing as one of my passions that I had not taken time into. Bbeen spending a lot of precious time on social media. I think this time I can channel it into productive writings. Thanks.
Chris Fielden
No problem, Philbert. I wish you all the best with your writing 🙂
I was wondering if there are any international school competitions that exist? My school is a British school but based in Singapore I run a writing club and am struggling for competitions they are eligible to enter.
Hi Sam, thanks for your message. Many of the comps listed above accept international entries. I just list the publication’s location so that writers can see what global market they are submitting their work to. If you check the T&Cs on the comps, you will find all the details. I also run a writing challenge that is open to writers residing anywhere in the world. If you want to use that as an exercise for your writing group, you would be welcome. You can learn about the challenge here: https://www.christopherfielden.com/writing-challenges/amazing-young-writers-challenge/ I hope that helps. All the best to you. Cheers, Chris