Wimbledon BookFest launches annual Young Writers Competition
Wimbledon BookFest has launched its 18th annual Young Writers Competition, with the theme of The Game.
Kindly supported by Arts Council England, the Young Writers Competition is open to all local schools, who can submit their top three entrants for each age category.
As an education charity, our work with schools is at the heart of what we do.
Throughout the year, we run events for over 15,000 children across Merton and South London, including those from SEN schools and disadvantaged communities. Our writing competition has been a staple of this year-round programme since the beginning of BookFest.
Over 70 schools participate every year, sending in over 500 submissions.
Surveys by the National Literacy Trust have shown that creative writing can help children articulate their feelings, express their creativity and explore theirimagination. Crucially, writing has been also proven to improve mental wellbeing.
Schools Manager Laura Byrne said:
“Creative writing is not just fun, it’s also an incredibly powerful tool that can help children develop critical thinking skills and express their ideas.”
Each year, we provide a simple prompt to kickstart the imagination and encourage the greatest variety of creative answers. In previous years, our winners have taken inspiration from their own identities and lives as well as the world around them, writing about national and global issues.
Click here to see previous themes and entries.
This year, we have taken inspiration from the 2024 Olympics, and we are asking participants to write short stories or poems on the theme of The Game.
The competition is open to all schools across the Borough of Merton and outer lying Boroughs, and entries must be submitted via schools (not by individual submission).
