Your Writers Competitions

3 For Young writers - What are you waiting for?
(And if you win something, come back and let me know)

John Betjeman Poetry Competition
Entries are now being accepted for the contest from 10 to 13 year olds in the UK and the Republic of Ireland

Deadline: 31st July.

Each child is invited to send in (by post or online) one poem on the theme of ‘place’. They can choose anywhere that is important to them– from their bedroom to a holiday place or a favourite park or building. The subject could be a city, a garden, a beach or a street; capturing in words what the place means to the child.

Winners of the poetry competition are invited to read their poems aloud to an audience of judges, entrants, teachers and parents as well as sponsors and press, at a prize giving held in October on the concourse of Saint Pancras station, next to the bronze statue of John Betjeman.

The first prize is stg £1000.
There are five runner-up prizes of stg £50 book tokens.
The competition is free to enter.

Full details can be found at the website

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The Cool it Schools Annual Poetry Competition
International: for schools and individuals; 5-10s;11-14s;15-18s
Prizes: books from Dorling Kindersley
Fee: £2. Length: 14 lines.

Theme for 2011 International Year of Chemistry ‘Chain Reactions: chemistry is the stuff of life. The world we inhabit and the animals, people and plants in it, are made from atoms and particles. Storms are caused by chemical reactions. Our senses of taste, touch and smell are dependent on chemical responses.

Write a poem that explores chemistry in unusual and imaginative ways.’

NB: font size 22 or more.

Poems can be viewed in the Writing the World ‘Chain Reactions’ showcases.

Entries may be emailed or
SEND TO: PO Box 67860 London SE24 4AT
website here

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247tales short story competition

the online writing competition that challenges you to write short stories using 247 words or fewer.

The prize for the winning story is £75 worth of Bloomsbury Children’s books plus a framed copy of your winning story. The winning story will appear on the home page of this website and ten runners-up will receive signed copies of the guest author’s latest book and their stories will appear on the website as well.

The competition is open to anyone aged between 10 and 16 and resident in the UK.

Deadline monthly.
More here

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Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2011.

This one's from the Poetry Society, the UK’s largest poetry competition for writers between the ages of 11 and 17. They had ‘over a staggering 20,000 poems’ last year, they say.
free to enter

submit only 6 to 8 of their very best poems.

There are two age categories: 11 to 14, and 15 to 17.

Poems can be any length and on any subject.

Deadline: 31 July

Prizes: For winners in the 11 to 14 category - A short residency at your school by 'a leading poet'.
Winners in the 15 to 17 category receive a week-long residential course at one of the prestigious Arvon writing Centres

The fifteen overall winners will have their entries published in the winners’ anthology, while the 85 Commended poets will have their names published.

There are also prizes of books for the schools which inspire the most entries, and there are unspecified prizes and books for all 100 winners, plus Youth Membership and an invite to the prestigious awards ceremony in London.

Click here

Judges: Imtiaz Dharker and Glyn Maxwell