Competition

Young Writer’s Competition

These are just four of the brilliant reasons young people aged between five and 18 gave The National Literacy Trust ’s Annual Literacy survey for why they write. 

At Wimbledon BookFest we know creative writing is not just fun, it’s an incredibly powerful tool that can help children develop critical thinking skills, creativity and power their imaginations. 

It’s why we launched Wimbledon BookFest’s Young Writer’s Competition as part of our Word Up! Programme for Schools. 

Every year students are given a different subject to write about. Find out more under the section called Themes. 

The competition is open to all schools across the Borough of Merton and we’re proud that more than 70 schools take part. 

Juniors category – for writers under 12s

There are two prizes – one for stories and one for poetry – for each of the Key Stages below.
Word count is 100 words (Minimum) 500 words (Maximum) 

• Key Stage 1 – years 1 & 2 
• (Lower) Key Stage 2 – years 3 & 4  
• (Upper) Key Stage 2 – years 5 & 6  
• There is also a separate category for SEN Schools taking part.  

Teachers are asked to select and submit a maximum of 3 entries per category.
(i.e. 3 poems and 3 short stories per Key Stage per school). 

Seniors category for writers up to 18

There are two prizes – one for stories and one for poetry – for each of the Key Stages below. Word count is 100 words (Minimum) 500 words (Maximum)  

• Key Stage 3 – years 7, 8 ,9  
• Key Stage 4- years 10 & 11  
• Key Stage 5 – years 12 & 13  
• There is also a separate category for SEN Schools taking part. 

Teachers are asked to select and submit a maximum of 3 entries per category.
(i.e. 3 poems and 3 short stories per Key Stage per school). 

Prizes 

Every child that is shortlisted by their school will receive a certificate. 

Winning and highly commended stories and poems will be published in the Wimbledon BookFest’s Anthology of Stories and Poems. 

All winners/runner ups plus two guests will be invited to a prize giving event where they will receive a goody bag of books and a copy of the Wimbledon BookFest’s Anthology their work has been published in. 

One lucky overall competition winner (from either the Junior or Senior category) will win an iPad. 

All state schools that enter the competition and have their children’s work printed in the anthology will receive 2 free copies for their library. 

Themes

2023… Home 

Inspired by family, friendship and community we are asking our young writers to shape a story or a poem of no more than 500 words that tells us what ‘Home’ means to them.  

• Is it a place where friendships are made?  
• Is it a temporary haven or a long-loved place of respite and peace?  
• Could it be a hidden or secret place like a bird’s nest found up high in the trees or a burrow nestled safety underground?  
• Or, perhaps for you, ‘Home’ is not a place at all but something or someone which represents something special and helps you to feel most like your true self.  

Winning entries will be published in the Wimbledon BookFest 2023 Anthology of Stories and Poems. 

This year’s competition is now closed. Keep a look out on the What’s on section of our sites to see when this year’s winners will be announced.