Terms & Conditions
These terms and conditions are applicable to all Young Writers' competitions unless otherwise stated. If a competition has different terms and conditions, these will be clearly stated on the competition page / competition entry form(s).
By entering any of Young Writers' competitions, you agree to accept and be bound by these terms and conditions. All entry instructions form part of the terms and conditions of Young Writers' competitions.
Terms of Entry
(Abbreviated terms of entry are provided in competition packs to teachers / organisations by post with instructions that full T&Cs are available on our website.)
- Entry to any Young Writers' competition is FREE and no purchase is necessary to enter or win a prize for individuals or schools.
- Work must be original (not copied). With the use of AI increasing but the identification of AI-created work apps in their infancy, Young Writers will rely on parents / teachers to enter work they know is the child's own / within their capabilities.
- Copyright remains with the author. We cannot publish work without permission. The work is published in a named title (book titles are subject to change if deemed necessary). If the work is chosen as a winner the work will be published on our website. Work will not be published or used anywhere else.
- In the case of co-written pieces of work, all authors will be accredited on the typeset proof and in the printed book. If permission is received, the author's name and surname will be included. If permission is received by one parent but not the other(s), then the co-authors who we do not have parental permission for must still be accredited and their first name only will be published.
- Competitions are open to different age ranges and will be clearly presented on any competition materials and competition web pages. Competitions are also listed by age range e.g.: Nursery, EYFS, 4-7, 7-12, 11-18, all ages.
- Competition closing dates are clearly marked on any competition materials and competition web pages. Young Writers accepts entries up to 28 days after a competition closes to allow for fluctuations in term times in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Young Writers' main competitions usually run for one academic year, once each term. This is subject to change, but prizes for launched competitions will not be affected.
- Unless otherwise stated, entries are only accepted from UK schools or UK independent entrants. School entries must be submitted by a teacher by post, email, upload, or Online Writing Portal. Finished entries in the Online Writing Portal are auto-submitted after the closing date - please remove work if you do not want it entered. Independent entrants need to follow the rules provided on each competition page via the 'Parent' button.
- Entries submitted by post are scanned onto our system for security & the originals are securely shredded. No original entries can be returned - you are welcome to submit photocopies to the competition.
- We will complete any cyber security/GPDR paperwork required by schools/trusts, please email this to [email protected].
- Entrant details are used for competition purposes only and will never be passed on to third parties.
- If any competition results in less than 500 entries, Young Writers reserves the right to cancel the competition & prizes and move entrants to an alternative competition instead.
- Every participating school receives at least one copy of the book that features its pupils. If no permission for pupils is provided, schools do not receive a free copy as their pupils are not featured.
- The promoter of Young Writers' competitions is Bonacia Ltd, Remus House, Coltsfoot Drive, Peterborough PE2 9BF. Bonacia Ltd is a Limited Liability company incorporated in England and Wales with registered number 05368980. VAT registration number is 102781343.
Publishing Criteria
Our Editorial team reviews work to be published based on several criteria, which are age-relevant:
4-7 Year-Olds (Infant School)
- Creativity
- Imagination
- Use of language
- Interpretation of theme (if applicable)
- Age is taken into consideration
- Any learning difficulties editors are made aware of are taken into consideration
7-12 Year-Olds (Primary School)
- Creativity
- Imagination
- Use of language
- Originality
- Interpretation of theme (if applicable)
- Age is taken into consideration
- Any learning difficulties editors are made aware of are taken into consideration
11-18 Year-Olds (Secondary School)
- Creativity
- Imagination
- Technical writing ability
- Originality
- Interpretation of theme (if applicable)
- Age is taken into consideration
- Any learning difficulties editors are made aware of are taken into consideration
All entrants have a realistic chance of seeing their work in print (average 65%). Entrants whose work we'd love to publish will be asked for parent/guardian's permission to publish the work. Published entrants are then considered for a prize.
Winners' Criteria
- Being invited for publication is not "winning" the competition
- Winners are chosen as the best writer or poet in the book, based on the publishing criteria above.
- Winners are picked through by Young Writers' Editorial Team and Young Writers' Independent Poetry & Literary Adjudicator.
- Winners must be published in the book (permission to publish must have been given before the deadline provided to parent/guardians).
- There is no purchase necessary to win a prize.
- Pupil / Independent entry winners' names, ages, schools (if applicable), book title and piece of work are displayed in the winners' section of the Young Writers website.
- By accepting the prize, pupil winners agree to their name, age, school (if applicable), book title and piece of work being displayed in the winners' section of the Young Writers website; school winners agree to their name, location and book title the work is published in being displayed in the winners' section of the Young Writers website and being stated in a press release to local media.
- Prizes are as stated on each competition page. Pupil prizes advertised per book are awarded and announced upon publication of each title. Pupil & school prizes advertised per term are awarded and announced in the next term. Pupil & school prizes advertised per competition are awarded and announced in the next academic year. Winners are notified in writing. Young Writers will never ask winners for payment for their prize, please be mindful of scammers.
View Winners
Last reviewed: 7th March 2026.
