6th April, 2022
The ultimate guide to competitions for young writers 2022
Getting words down onto the page isn’t the hard part for many keen young writers, but making the time to polish a story or poem can be hard. That’s especially true if you’re in school and juggling other demands like exams or extracurricular activities. But entering a writing competition is a motivation to do the editing that will turn your inspired draft into a shining example of your craft. Here’s a list of competitions aimed at young writers and poets; why not give one a go? We’re starting with our own, of course, which opens next month. Good luck!
The Young Walter Scott Prize
Organised by ourselves, the Young Walter Scott Prize is the UK’s only creative writing prize for budding historical fiction authors. You can enter if you’re between 11 and 19 and live in the UK. You could win a £500 travel grant, an invitation to one of the UK’s best book festivals, and a chance to see your own work in print. Stories must be between 800 and 2,000 words, set in a time before you were born. For details of the next competition, opening in May 2022, and copies of previous winning entries go to this website page or follow the YWSP on TikTok www.tiktok.com/@walterscottprizes and YouTube www.youtube.com/c/walterscottprizes
Orwell Youth Prize
The Orwell Foundation’s Orwell Youth Prize is open to you if you’re between 8 and 13 years old. You’ll need to write a story, essay or write your own game, and the themes they’re looking for vary from year to year. This year you’ll also need to answer a question about what you think should be done about the climate crisis. Find out more at https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-youth-prize/
War Through Children’s Eyes
Organised by the Azerbaijani Community in the United Kingdom, this is a new art and creative writing competition set up as part of the 30th anniversary commemoration of the Khojaly massacre in Azerbaijan in 1992. If you are a UK resident aged between 7 and 17, you can enter with an artwork or a written piece inspired by the themes of war and peace; written work should be no more than 1,000 words. The deadline is 10 May 2022 and entry is free, although participants are encouraged to make a donation to War Child. For more information, see https://www.warthroughchildrenseyes.org.uk/
Green Stories Writing Competitions
This short story competition is run by the University of Southampton and aims to inspire green behaviour; stories need to be between 2,000 and 5,000 words and include a synopsis. You’ll also need to show that you’ve read previous published work from the Green Stories project. Entry is free and the winner will take home £200. The 2022 deadline has passed, but keep an eye on the website for future competitions. https://www.greenstories.org.uk/upcoming-competitions/short-stories-competition-for-under-18s-deadline-march-2022/
Young Poets’ Competition
Organised by the Wells Festival of Literature, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2022, this competition looks for poems on any subjects but not more than 35 lines long. First second and third places all win cash awards, plus a year’s subscription to the Poetry Society. You must be between 16 and 22 years old and you can only submit one entry. Find out more https://www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk/2022-young-poets-competition/
Wenlock Olympian Society Writing Competition
This competition welcomes stories and poems and is open to young writers from around the world. There are awards in three medal categories – gold, silver and bronze – and all medallists receive their own Wenlock Olympian Society medal. Find copies of winning stories on their website, where details of the next competition will also be published later in 2022. http://www.wenlock-olympian-society.org.uk/creative/
Author of Tomorrow
The Author of Tomorrow prize, founded by the writer Wilbur Smith, is open to young writers in a range of age categories, from 11 and under, up to 21 years. The competition aims to find the adventure writers of the future and offers a cash award, book tokens, and digital publication in an anthology. Find out more at https://www.wilbur-niso-smithfoundation.org/awards/author-of-tomorrow-2019
Solstice Prize
Organised by Writing East Midlands, the Solstice Prize is open to writers aged 11 to 17; you can submit stories or poems and the prizes on offer include a cash award and a book voucher for your school. Watch the website, which has copies of previous winning entries, for details of the next competition at https://writingeastmidlands.co.uk/young-writers/solstice-prize/
Write on Art
If you’ve ever been moved by a work of art, then Write on Art is a wonderful opportunity to put your thoughts into words. The prize is organised by Art UK and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art. To enter, you should be aged 15 to 18 and residing in England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland; choose one artwork from artuk.org that fascinates you. For details and guidelines see https://artuk.org/discover/stories/how-to-write-about-art-and-how-to-enter-the-write-on-art-competition
BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University
This writing prize, run by the BBC along with Cambridge University, could be for you if you’re aged 14 to 18 and live in the UK. You’ll need to write a story of up to 1,000 words; the shortlist will be announced on BBC Radio 1 and the winner will be announced live on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row. Learn more at http://bbc.co.uk/ywa
The John Byrne Award
Another opportunity here for writers both young and old, but you must be living or studying in Scotland and be aged over 16. The John Byrne Award is reorganising in 2022; see its website for details at https://www.johnbyrneaward.org.uk/enter-now/
You’ll never know how you’ll fare in a competition unless you enter, so give it a try! Whether you’ve ambitions to become an author or just enjoy working with words, it’s fun to take part. Why not take a look at our YouTube channel to meet past winners?
You’ll also find inspiration on our TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and our website.