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Writing Contests, Grants & Awards

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  • G&A: The Contest Blog

The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it. Ours is the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

Winter Story Contest

A prize of $2,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, a memoir, or an excerpt from a longer work of fiction...

Black Lawrence Press

Hudson prize.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Black Lawrence Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a collection of poems, short stories, essays, or hybrid work. The editors...

Laura Boss Poetry Foundation

Laura boss narrative poetry award.

A prize of $5,000, publication by New York Quarterly Books, and 25 author copies is given annually for a collection of narrative poetry. The winner is also invited to give a...

Prime Number Magazine Awards

Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Prime Number Magazine ...

Four Way Books

Levis prize in poetry.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Four Way Books is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner is also invited to participate in readings either virtually or in...

Fish Publishing

Poetry prize.

A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,085) and publication in the Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a single poem. The winner is also invited to read at the...

Elixir Press

Antivenom poetry award.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Elixir Press is given annually for a first or second poetry collection. Kathleen Winter will judge. Submit a manuscript of at least 48...

Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature

Paul engle prize.

A prize of $25,000 is given annually to a writer “who, like Paul Engle, represents a pioneering spirit in the world of literature through writing, editing, publishing, or...

Trustees of the Robert Frost Farm

Frost farm prize for metrical poetry.

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poem written in metrical verse. The winner also receives a scholarship to attend and give a reading at the Frost Farm Poetry...

Arts & Letters

Arts & letters prizes.

Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Arts & Letters ...

Banipal Trust for Arab Literature

Saif ghobash banipal prize for arabic literary translation.

A prize of £3,000 (approximately $3,797) is given annually for a book of poetry or fiction translated from Arabic into English and published for the first time in English...

Lascaux Review

Lascaux prize in poetry.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Lascaux Review is given annually for a single poem. Previously published and unpublished poems are accepted. Using only the online...

North American Review

Terry tempest williams creative nonfiction prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in North American Review is given annually for an essay. Lyric essays, memoir-style essays, and literary journalism are eligible. Toni...

Winning Writers

Wergle flomp humor poetry contest.

A prize of $2,000, a gift certificate for a two-year membership to the literary database Duotrope, and publication on the Winning Writers website is given annually for a...

Gemini Magazine

Short story contest.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a short story. The editors will judge. Submit a story of any length with an $8 entry fee by...

Orison Books

Prizes in poetry and fiction.

Two prizes of $1,500 each and publication by Orison Books are given annually for a poetry collection and a book of fiction. Ellen Bass will judge in poetry and Kaveh Akbar will...

Nimrod International Journal

Nimrod literary awards.

Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication in Nimrod International Journal are given annually for a poem or a group of poems and a work of fiction. A runner-up in each...

Saturnalia Books

A prize of $1,500, publication by Saturnalia Books, and 20 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Carmen Giménez will judge. All entries are also considered...

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

A prize of $1,500 and publication on the competition website is given annually for a short story by a writer whose fiction has not appeared in a nationally distributed...

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Oberon is given annually for a single poem. Submit up to three poems of no more than two pages each with an $18 entry fee, which...

Omnidawn Publishing

Single poem contest.

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a single poem. The winner also receives 20 copies of a letterpress broadside of the winning poem. Claire Marie Stancek will judge. Using...

Desperate Literature

Short fiction prize.

A prize of €1,500 (approximately $1,628), publication in the Desperate Literature prize anthology, and a weeklong residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation’s castle in the...

Poetry Foundation

Ruth lilly and dorothy sargent rosenberg poetry fellowships.

Five fellowships of $27,000 each are given annually to U.S. poets between the ages of 21 and 31. Using only the online submission system, submit 10 pages of poetry and an...

New Ohio Review

Literary prizes.

Three prizes of $1,500 each and publication in New Ohio Review are given annually for a poem or group of poems, a short story, and an essay. Submit a poem or group of...

University of Arkansas Press

Etel adnan poetry prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Arkansas Press is given annually for a first or second poetry collection by a writer of Arab heritage. Series editors Hayan...

  • RULES AND REGULATIONS
  • AWARDS AND PRIZES
  • IMPORTANT DATES TO NOTE
  • TOP 50 FINALISTS
  • Top 10 Finalists
  • EXHIBITION INFORMATION

creative writing beta competition

SOTA Primary 6 Creative Writing Competition 2024

Awards and prizes.

50 finalists will be invited to a short story writing workshop on 23 March 2024 and will receive the following prizes:

  • Top 10 finalists: $100 book voucher
  • Next 40 finalists: $20 book voucher

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Arts & Humanities

USU Creative Writing and Art Contest Announces 2024 Winners

By Ashley Wells | March 20, 2024

A nightshade plant pressed onto paper with red berry stains around it.

"Bittersweet Nightshade" by Basil Payne took 1st Place in the art category of the 2024 USU Creative Writing and Art Contest.

A nightshade plant pressed onto paper with red berry stains around it.

USU’s Creative Writing Contest has named the winners in its 31st annual competition, recognizing the best creative work by USU students.

Open to all USU undergraduate students from all departments and disciplines, the contest awards top writers of fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction, as well as visual artists in drawing, painting and photography. Each category received the blind review of expert judges drawn from the USU and Cache Valley arts community.

On her winning fiction piece, “Tashi’s Vows,” winner Amber McCuen says: “I wrote the short story ‘Tashi's Vows’ in a fiction writing class, which was specifically focused on writing fiction based in research. In studying Tibetan Buddhism before I wrote the story, I watched documentaries, checked out books from multiple libraries, and at one point had 80 tabs of web pages and articles open. My biggest desires in writing this story were to depict everything as accurately as possible, from the physical monastery to the culture of its residents, and to tell a human, heartfelt story.”

Gregory Dille’s essay, “Ventriloquist,” was chosen as the nonfiction winner.

“ Growing up rural meant relying on family and the natural environment for company,” Gregory says. “Being so immersed in the natural world meant constant, predictable change — seasonal weather, migrating birds, and so on. Certain change, I learned at a young age, was not predictable, however. ‘Ventriloquist’ was my attempt at capturing that sudden, unpredictable feeling.”

Noelani Hadfield was named poetry winner for selected poems “trial by fire,” “patience is a virtue that rips me apart,” and “metaphysics of being.”

“For me, my writing is always rooted in my own experiences,” Noelani says. “Poetry, however, is this great medium where you can fictionalize and transpose in order to get to the true ‘heart’ of the poem. All of these poems are me trying to explore something within myself — things that are in all of us.”

On their winning piece “Bittersweet Nightshade,” writer and artist Basil Payne says: “I made this art piece in conversation with a poem I did over the summer for a project I worked on. Most of this piece comes from nature — the plant in the middle is a bittersweet nightshade plant I preserved with a plant press, and the splotchy red, purple, and wine background was made from different berries I foraged. Through this piece, I wanted to share how I see the world. I saw myself in that plant, a tattered, hole-punched weed on the side of the road, and I thought it was beautiful.”

This is the eighth year the contest has partnered with USU’s international undergraduate literary journal, Sink Hollow . The winning entries will be published next month in a special contest issue, giving this work an international audience.

The winners will also get the chance to share their work locally when they will give a reading at Helicon West .

“The Helicon reading of the contest winners’ work is always one of the best nights of the year on campus,” said Contest Director Charles Waugh. “We get to celebrate not only the winning work, but also our whole, vibrant writing community here at USU and in Cache Valley.”

The Helicon West reading of the contest winning work will 7 p.m. April 25 at the new Logan Library in Community Room A. As always, Helicon is free, uncensored, open to the public, and will include an open-mic session.

2024 USU Creative Writing and Art Contest Winners

  • First: Basil Payne, “Bittersweet Nightshade.”
  • Second: Cassity Whitby, “Tour Guide Ruth.”
  • Third: Abigail Smith, “Through the Looking Glass.”
  • Honorable Mention : Lily Webb, “Facing the Storm; Summer Reign.”
  • Honorable Mention : Cassity Whitby, “June With Adreann and the Kids; November Blue Light.”
  • Honorable Mention: Basil Payne, “A dream which had heard me weep; Juniper.”
  • Honorable Mention: K’Lee Perry, “Leaves and Eaves; Patchwork Sun.”
  • Honorable Mention: Abigail Smith, “Taking Leave.”
  • Honorable Mention: Madileine Malo, “Circles.”
  • Honorable Mention: Amber McCuen, “Goliath.”
  • Honorable Mention: Brianna Pickering, “Ode to Ophelia; Keeping Watch.”
  • Honorable Mention: Bria Dean “Seven Circles; Inclusion Matters.”
  • First: Amber McCuen, “Tashi’s Vows.”
  • Second: Megan Boyce, “The Magic Lantern.”
  • Third: Ashleigh Sabin, “The Great Unconformity.”
  • First: Gregory Dille, “Ventriloquist.”
  • Second: Nick Carlson, “A Recipe for Funeral Casserole.”
  • Third: Clarissa Casper, “Flash Flood.”
  • First: Noelani Hadfield, “trial by fire; patience is a virtue that rips me apart; metaphysics of being.”
  • Second: Basil Payne, "Icarus as God; love-dewed meadows; Monstrous belief.”
  • Third: James Ashby, “Faces; Sanctuary; I Still Have Die to Cast, just not anymore for you.”

Ashley Wells English Department Lecturer [email protected]

Comments and questions regarding this article may be directed to the contact person listed on this page.

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March 21, 2024     216

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Creativity Unbound, a K-8 student art exhibit in the Lyndsley Wilkerson Gallery in the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence at Utah State University, opened on Feb. 9.

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  • Creative Writing Competition Rules and FAQ
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  • Newsletter: Gifted Matters

2022-2023 Creative Writing Competition

We are hoping to be even bigger and better this year. Are you a teacher or author who would like to help us judge these talented entries? Please contact Carrie .

15th Annual Creative Writing Competition deadline Friday, December 2, 2022, midnight.

Poster 2022-2023

Open to passionate writers in grades 4th —12th.

Open to cisd students and students outside cisd cga membership required only if student does not attend cisd schools., deadline: december 2, 2022 at midnight, click here for:  rules and faqs (includes link for online entry form).

Each entry will be judged based on its artistic expression; however, technical merit will also be a factor. Finalists (evaluated by student grade and category) will be announced in Spring 2023. The winning entries will be published in a book that will be available in the spring. Students need not be identified gifted to participate.

Categories:  

This page was updated September 11, 2022

Interested in what happened in previous competitions?

2021-22 cga creative writing competition.

  • Click HERE to see results from the 2021-22 Competition.

2020-21 CGA Creative Writing Competition

  • Click HERE to see results from the 2020-21 Competition.

2019-20 CGA Creative Writing Competition

  • Click HERE to see results from the 2019-20 Competition.

2018-19 CGA Creative Writing Competition

  • Click HERE to see results from the 2018-19 Competition.

2017-18 CGA Creative Writing Competition

  • Click HERE to see results from the 2017-18 Competition.

2016-17 CGA Creative Writing Competition

  • Click HERE to see results from the 2016-17 Competition.

2015-16 CGA Creative Writing Competition

  • Click HERE to see results from the 2015-16 Competition.

2014-15 CGA Creative Writing Competition

  • Results are available by clicking here:  RESULTS AVAILABLE HERE.

2013-14 CGA Creative Writing Competition

  • Results are available by clicking here: RESULTS AVAILABLE HERE.
  • Click here for more information about the book orders and book release party: Books & Party , Party Pics.

2012-13 CGA Creative Writing Competition.

  • Results are available by clicking here:  FINAL RESULTS .
  • Click here for more information on Book Orders and the Book Release Party:  Book Orders  and  Book Release Party .

2011-2012 CGA Creative Writing Competition

  • Click here for Creative Writing Competition RESULTS.
  • Click here for Book orders and Book release party

2010-2011 CGA Creative Writing Competition

  • For information on the  CGA Book Relase Party  on April 7, 2011 (or the link to pre-order the book), please click  HERE .
  • For final results,  CLICK HERE .

. 2009-2010 Creative Writing Competition

Share this:, upcoming events.

  • January 19th – Creative Writing Competition Entry Deadline

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WEEKLY WRITING PROMPTS

Join (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts.

Showing 2104 prompts

Re-imagining our world through speculative fiction with alice mcilroy, write a story where time functions differently to our world..

LIVE – Science Fiction

Write a story about a character who wakes up in space.

Write a story from the point of view of a non-human character..

LIVE – Narrative

Write a story with a strong sense of place. How is the setting of your world the same as, but different to, our own?

LIVE – Mystery

Write a story imagining 'what if' one historic invention had never happened. How would our world be different now?

LIVE – Dystopian

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Introducing Prompted , a new magazine written by you!

🏆 Featuring 12 prize-winning stories from our community. Download it now for FREE .

Start or end your story with a character who gets trapped inside a museum overnight.

Write about two characters who meet and/or fall in love in a museum., write about an art thief who is struggling to commit the perfect heist., write about someone who accidentally destroys a museum’s most valuable artifact., write about a gallery whose paintings come alive at night., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

Never miss a prompt! Get curated writing inspiration delivered to your inbox each week.

Write about a backstabbing (literal or metaphorical) gone wrong.

Start your story with an unexpected betrayal., set your story at a tense event where everyone is unsure whose side they’re on., write about someone who is stuck between two opposing sides and can’t decide which one to choose., write about someone who is convinced they’re going to be betrayed., set your story in a lighthouse surrounded by powerful gale-force winds., craft a story where a character finds themselves swept away by the wind, either physically or metaphorically., set your story on a sailboat, large or small, and entirely at the mercy of the winds., a crumpled piece of paper holding an unexpected message is carried by the wind. where did it come from, and where is it going, begin your story with the sensation of a breeze brushing against a character's skin., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Contest #243 LIVE

Enter our weekly contest.

This week's theme: Re-Imagining Our World Through Speculative Fiction with Alice McIlroy

Prize money

Contest entries, closes at 23:59 - mar 29, 2024 est, recent contests ✍️.

#242 – Fine Art

#241 – Et Tu, Brute?

#240 – In the Wind

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Recent winners 🏆

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#10 Deborah Mercer

9602 points

Reedsy | Short Story Editors | 2023-03

Meet short story editors

Perfect your story for submission with help from an experienced editor.

Creative Writing Prompts

When the idea to start a weekly newsletter with writing inspiration first came to us, we decided that we wanted to do more than provide people with topics to write about. We wanted to try and help authors form a regular writing habit and also give them a place to proudly display their work. So we started the weekly Creative Writing Prompts newsletter. Since then, Prompts has grown to a community of more than 450,000 authors, complete with its own literary magazine, Prompted .  

Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted on our Reedsy Prompts page.

Interested in participating in our short story contest? Sign up here for more information! Or you can check out our full Terms of Use and our FAQ page .

Why we love creative writing prompts

If you've ever sat in front of a computer or notebook and felt the urge to start creating worlds, characters, and storylines — all the while finding yourself unable to do so — then you've met the author's age-old foe: writer's block. There's nothing more frustrating than finding the time but not the words to be creative. Enter our directory! If you're ready to kick writer's block to the curb and finally get started on your short story or novel, these unique story ideas might just be your ticket.

This list of 1800+ creative writing prompts has been created by the Reedsy team to help you develop a rock-solid writing routine. As all aspiring authors know, this is the #1 challenge — and solution! — for reaching your literary goals. Feel free to filter through different genres, which include...

Dramatic — If you want to make people laugh and cry within the same story, this might be your genre.

Funny — Whether satire or slapstick, this is an opportunity to write with your funny bone.

Romance — One of the most popular commercial genres out there. Check out these story ideas out if you love writing about love.

Fantasy — The beauty of this genre is that the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

Dystopian – Explore the shadowy side of human nature and contemporary technology in dark speculative fiction.

Mystery — From whodunnits to cozy mysteries, it's time to bring out your inner detective.

Thriller and Suspense — There's nothing like a page-turner that elicits a gasp of surprise at the end.

High School — Encourage teens to let their imaginations run free.

Want to submit your own story ideas to help inspire fellow writers? Send them to us here.

After you find the perfect story idea

Finding inspiration is just one piece of the puzzle. Next, you need to refine your craft skills — and then display them to the world. We've worked hard to create resources that help you do just that! Check them out:

  • How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten-day course by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.
  • Best Literary Magazines of 2023 — a directory of 100+ reputable magazines that accept unsolicited submissions.
  • Writing Contests in 2023 — the finest contests of 2021 for fiction and non-fiction authors of short stories, poetry, essays, and more.

Beyond creative writing prompts: how to build a writing routine

While writing prompts are a great tactic to spark your creative sessions, a writer generally needs a couple more tools in their toolbelt when it comes to developing a rock-solid writing routine . To that end, here are a few more additional tips for incorporating your craft into your everyday life.

  • NNWT. Or, as book coach Kevin Johns calls it , “Non-Negotiable Writing Time.” This time should be scheduled into your routine, whether that’s once a day or once a week. Treat it as a serious commitment, and don’t schedule anything else during your NNWT unless it’s absolutely necessary.
  • Set word count goals. And make them realistic! Don’t start out with lofty goals you’re unlikely to achieve. Give some thought to how many words you think you can write a week, and start there. If you find you’re hitting your weekly or daily goals easily, keep upping the stakes as your craft time becomes more ingrained in your routine.
  • Talk to friends and family about the project you’re working on. Doing so means that those close to you are likely to check in about the status of your piece — which in turn keeps you more accountable.

Arm yourself against writer’s block. Writer’s block will inevitably come, no matter how much story ideas initially inspire you. So it’s best to be prepared with tips and tricks you can use to keep yourself on track before the block hits. You can find 20 solid tips here — including how to establish a relationship with your inner critic and apps that can help you defeat procrastination or lack of motivation.

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Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢

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Welcome to the home page of the Bulgarian Creative Writing Competition! Please feel free to click around and learn more about the contest, its history, and how you and your school can get involved! Use the tabs at the top of the page or the following quick links:

NEWS PAGE – Recent updates on this year’s competition

ABOUT BCWC – Learn who we are and how we operate

REGISTRATION – Register for the 14th BCWC

RULES&CRITERIA – Read all BCWC official documents

RESOURCES – For all your BCWC needs

RESULTS – See finalists and winners, and read the selected pieces

ONLINE STORE  – Support BCWC

CONTACT US – Contact the BCWC team

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The best photos from the sony world photography awards open competition.

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Caiman Crunch: This unforgettable photo of a jaguar attacking a caiman crocodile in Brazil's ... [+] Pantanal wetlands won the Natural World & Wildlife category.

A jaguar drilling the camera with its eyes as it attacks a crocodile, a village floating on Lake Titicaca as wildfire approaches, amazing portraits, architectural wonders and gorgeous landscapes are all among the 10 category winners and shortlisted single photos in the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards open competition , unveiled by the World Photography Organisation .

The free-to-enter competition recognizing single images from across the globe garnered more than 395,000 entries from 220-plus countries and territories in 2023.

Each category winner snares digital imaging equipment from Sony and goes on to compete for the Open Photographer of the Year title and a $5,000 prize that will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on April 18.

Selected winning and shortlisted images will be shown at the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at London’s Somerset House from April 19 to May 6 before hitting the road to other locations.

Now in its 17th year, Sony’s photo awards are a global voice for photography for both established and emerging artists.

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Apple s surprise update just made iphone more like android, google makes another surprise new offer to pixel 8 buyers.

The categories in the Open Competition include portraiture, travel, natural world and wildlife, lifestyle, landscape, architecture, creative, motion, object and street photography. All the Sony World Photography Awards winners and shortlisted photos can be seen here .

Mother Love, Shortlisted Natural World & Wildlife category

This is a particularly rare scene of a sperm whale calf nursing from its mother in the Indian Ocean. The young calf pushes its lower jaw into the nipple cavity and the mother squirts milk into the baby's mouth underwater. As young whales cannot breathe and nurse at the same time, these feeding events are typically quite short.

Down the Hatch, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife category

A great blue heron swallows its early morning catch at the base of a small spillway that flows into wetlands in Madison, Alabama.

Bumblebee, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife category ... [+]

A close-up portrait of a bumblebee’s right side details its eye and antenna with startling clarity—challenging any horror movie’s monster for effect.

Saludo Sonia, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife category

A mother elephant greets her daughter. “I called the little one Sonia, or Sony,” said photographer Jesus Frias.

The Scream, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife category

There are two characteristics that clearly distinguish bats from other mammals: They alone can fly, and they rest hanging upside down.

Unlike birds, bats cannot take flight from the ground because their wings are not strong enough. So they hang from trees to facilitate their flight.

Travel And Lifestyle

Between Calm and Catastrophe, Winner, Open Competition, Travel category

On Lake Titicaca, between Peru and Bolivia, a tranquil floating village stands in stark contrast to the approaching wildfire on land nearby, a dramatic testament to nature’s dual disposition.

Baobabs road, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel category

The Allée des Baobabs in Madagascar is probably one of the best places on the planet for viewing the incredible baobab trees. “Using a drone, I was able to compose the striking outlines of the baobabs along the road and in the very last moments of the beautiful sunset,” said John Seager.

Strokes of Serenity, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel category

Captured at the famous “S-bend” in Xiapu, China, bamboo sticks used for drying sea kelp and a fishing boat join together to create a harmonious composition reminiscent of a hand-drawn ink painting.

Twende Ziwani (Let’s go to the Lake), Winner, Open Competition, Lifestyle category

Twende Ziwani is Swahili for “let's go to the lake” and the title of this studio photograph inspired by fashion photography, depicting a model striking a pose.

The title also refers to Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and the source of the Nile River.

Capybara in the Amazon. Shortlist, Lifestyle category

A capybara visits a house in San Antonio in Peru’s Amazon rainforest.

Portraiture

Zenande, Sinawe, Zinathi and Buhle at Sea Point Pavilion in Cape Town, Winner, Open Competition, ... [+] Portraiture category

‘Zenande, Sinawe, Zinathi and Buhle at Sea Point Pavilion, Cape Town’ depicts a group of teens on a day out at the swimming pool. The photographer, Michelle Sank, considers the ways in which the city has changed since the end of apartheid, reflecting how cultural and social diversity is now celebrated.

"This image is part of my ongoing series 'Ballade,' a poetic homage to my birthplace,” she explains. “My strongest memories are of Sea Point Promenade and the Pavilion swimming pool when, due to apartheid, they were only for the privileged white population. Returning in 2023, I was drawn to these spaces where little seems to have changed in terms of structure and recreation, but they now celebrate cultural and social diversity."

David Attenborough, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture category

The legendary Sir David Attenborough sits on a stool in the grounds where Charles Darwin wrote Origin of the Species.

The Thinker, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture category

“Forgotten by the Renaissance” is a photographic series aimed at capturing the essence of individuals who, historically, were rarely seen as subjects in the Renaissance paintings that adorn museum walls.

These images feature individuals from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in classical portraiture, providing a fresh perspective on their significance in the tapestry of art and culture. It seeks to challenge traditional narratives by creating a more inclusive representation of history.

Mother Goose, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture category

Actor Sir Ian McKellen prepares to play Mother Goose in a pantomime at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London’s West End.

A Rider Getting Down And Dirty, Winner, Open Competition, Motion category

A rider passes through a muddy part of the course at the Norwegian National Championships in Hafjell Bike Park, Norway.

Touché, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion category

Taken during the British Fencing Senior Championship 2023 in north London, Andrew Moss “used a slow shutter speed to enhance the sense of movement as the fencers lunged and parried on the piste.”

Street Photography

Gorilla, Shortlist, Open Competition, Street Photography category

You simply couldn’t ask for a better juxtaposition between a woman and graffiti of a gorilla.

End of the night kiss, Shortlist, Open Competition, Street Photography category.

Everyone loves Fleet Week in New York City. Every night of the week, ladies come into the city to dance the night away with the visiting sailors, but the sailors must leave before midnight to get back to their ships, as their “Cinderella liberty” comes to an end. This lady had a wonderful time and bids goodnight to her visiting hero.

Still Waiting, Shortlist, Open Competition, Street Photography category

“Walking past this pub, I looked through the window and saw this little dog waiting for his owner,” said Sonia de Wit. “I went inside and took this photograph.”

Moonrise Sprites over Storr, Winner, Open Competition, Landscape category

As moonrise burns across the horizon, lights dance above the Old Man of Storr in Scotland. This iconic rock formation was illuminated with powerful lights attached to drones, which cut through the darkness to reveal the icy landscape.

Taken during a blizzard, the image was carefully executed just before the moonlight became too bright.

Dune Ribs, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape category

A lone camel thorn tree is dwarfed by a massive sand dune in Sossusvlei, Namibia.

WInter Drama, Shortlisted, Landscape category

“It was a very cold morning when I set up to photograph the iconic Torres del Paine mountains in southern Chile, with frozen fog filling the valleys and shrouding the mountain,” Charles Janson recalled. “A small herd of llamas entered the scene and I decided to include them. They were, after all, a part of the landscape as well.

Architecture

Falling Out of Time, Winner, Open Competition, Architecture category

“Falling Out of Time” depicts a lighthouse bathed in the soft evening light of dusk, its sleek, geometric design contrasting with the coastal landscape and a solitary figure.

Unfinished, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture category

Many of Cairo’s buildings are unfinished because their owners have to pay higher taxes when they are complete.

Building blocks, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture category

The image was taken from the Tai Mo Shan, the highest point in Hong Kong. The sprawling metropolis was covered in a layer of fog, creating surreal silhouettes of the skyscrapers, which looked like toys.

Colorful crystals, Winner, Open Competition, Creative category

A macro photograph of crystals of amino acids B-alanine, L-glutamine and glycine, showing the remarkable colors and textures contained within these complex structures.

Sea Level, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative category

“The sea level markers I saw on a trip to Death Valley, California, reminded me of the waterfowl that once lived in the area,” said Bin Yang. “Concerned about climate change and the increasing drought in the western United States, I placed photographs of waterfowl in a surreal desert setting in the hope that it would serve as a reminder that humans need to do the right thing when it comes to climate change.”

Red Beauty, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative category

“This picture is part of my Unattainable Beauty series, which explores the artificial creation of beauty,” said Natalie Strohmaier. “The ‘flower model’ was hand-assembled using needles and wires, and photographed in the studio.”

Natural Beauty, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object category

“With this composition I wanted to highlight the beauty of shape and color possessed by organic objects that we don’t necessarily notice in everyday life,” said Aleksandra Garbarczyk. “I took this picture in my studio in Salzburg.”

Cecilia Rodriguez

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The Labour party is in my blood. Here’s why I’ve just cancelled my membership

Owen Jones

My ancestors had their own complex relationships with the party, but they could point to policies that transformed people’s lives. In 2024, I cannot say the same

I t’s difficult to disentangle Labour from my sense of self. Grew up in Stockport, looks a bit like Macaulay Culkin, bad dress sense … the Labour party always seemed to fit in there somewhere. My great-grandfather, a railwayman who had his wages docked in the General Strike nearly a century ago, was a Labour councillor. So was my grandmother; her proudest achievement was stopping a family being evicted by a private landlord over Christmas. My parents met at an open-air Labour meeting outside Tooting Bec in the 1960s (romantic). My mother bought me a Labour membership as a 15th birthday present. Under every Labour leader in my 21 years of adult life, I’ve plumped for the party’s candidates at local, national and European level, and campaigned for them to boot.

And yet, after a uniquely calamitous 14-year stretch of Tory rule, just as Labour looks set to reconquer No 10 by a landslide, I’ve just emailed the party cancelling my membership. My committed critics will understandably seek to link the two: Labour has shed its aversion to electability, and off sulks Home Alone’s patron saint of unelectable ideas.

But my decision isn’t based on a desire to see Labour for ever in the wilderness. Reaching it has been a gradual, painful process of realising the party won’t even do the bare minimum to improve people’s lives, or to tackle the crises that have led Britain to catastrophe; and that it will, in fact, wage war on anyone who wants to do either– making anyone with politics to the left of Peter Mandelson feel like a pariah on borrowed time. Yes, my relatives had conflicted relationships with the party, and were often frustrated by its insufficient radicalism. But they could always point to policies that transformed the lives of the people Labour was founded to represent, from the welfare state to the minimum wage and the NHS, where my grandmother worked for her whole life.

An election leaflet of Owen Jones’ grandmother, when she was campaigning as a Labour councillor.

The premise of Keir Starmer’s leadership bid in 2020 was that popular policies such as taxing the rich to invest in public services, scrapping tuition fees and promoting public ownership were not to blame for the party’s 2019 electoral rout. Jeremy Corbyn’s 2017 election manifesto, Starmer declared, was the party’s “foundational document” – centred around such commitments and credited with the party’s biggest surge in vote share since 1945, even if it wasn’t enough to win two years after a shattering defeat. “Jeremy Corbyn made our party the party of anti-austerity,” Starmer told shattered Labour members, “and he was right to do so.” Though I didn’t vote for him, his pitch gave hope for the broad church my ancestors believed in. In response, I wrote a column titled : “Starmer can succeed, and he deserves our support.”

Yet five years on, Labour has become a hostile environment for anyone believing in the very policies Starmer relied upon to secure the leadership. Sure, Tony Blair’s leadership bid didn’t include laying waste Iraq, but he didn’t pretend to be a slicker version of Tony Benn either. “Circumstances changed,” plead Starmer’s defenders. Weird, then, that according to Margaret Hodge, she was led to believe by a Starmer ally during the leadership election that he was “lying” in order to get the job. Weird, too, that during that same campaign Starmer told Andrew Neil that nationalisation of utilities would feature in a Labour manifesto, but 18 months later said : “I never made a commitment to nationalisation.”

Ah, the luxury of a Guardian columnist, goes the predictable retort, demanding the most vulnerable pay the price for his lofty principles. Consider, though, that ending the two-child benefit cap would lift 250,000 children out of poverty, and lessen the effects of poverty on a further 850,000, but Starmer backed keeping it anyway. Why? To sound tough, presumably. On who? Impoverished children, like those I grew up with in Stockport? This is the same Labour party that has ruled out bringing back a cap on bankers’ bonuses or instituting a wealth tax. The same Labour party committed to Tory fiscal rules that lock the country into dismal austerity policies that have delivered collapsing public services and an unprecedented decline in living standards. The same Labour party that gutted its one distinctive flagship policy, a £28bn-a-year green investment fund , not because it came under pressure, but because it feared it might.

Some argue that Labour is doing a Clark Kent, and will unveil its hidden progressive Superman upon assuming office. Yet those fiscal rules make that approach impossible, even if you disregard the propensity of Labour governments to become more rightwing in office.

The assault on Gaza, the great crime of our age, adds moral indecency to the pile of dishonesty and vacuity. When Starmer declared Israel had the right to cut off energy and water to Palestinian civilians, he did so as a human rights lawyer who understands the Geneva conventions. After letting shadow cabinet ministers defend him, he claimed it “has never been my view that Israel had the right to cut off water, food, fuel or medicines”. We all have political red lines: mine is supporting what would amount to war crimes against innocent civilians, toddlers and newborn babies among them, then gaslighting the public over doing so.

Owen Jones’ great-grandfather with fellow councillors.

Where is my gratitude for Starmer delivering a now inevitable landslide victory, you may ask? Well, he didn’t force Boris Johnson and his cronies to violate their own pandemic rules, or to trash the NHS, or oversee the worst squeeze in living standards in history. Nor did he propel to power Liz Truss, whose unhinged economic experiment crashed the economy – the moment when the electorate turned on this Tory party for good.

The absolute power a landslide victory will give Labour should scare you. When Starmer allies deployed antisemitic tropes – with one joking about a “run on silver shekels” when two Jewish businessmen missed out on peerages, and another calling a Jewish Tory donor a “ puppet master ” – an apology was deemed to be sufficient. When another racially abused a journalist and had a sexual harassment complaint upheld, they were reinstated after investigation.

Contrast this with Diane Abbott, Britain’s first Black female MP, who was suspended after immediately apologising for an Observer letter in which she argued that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people are not subject to racism “all their lives”. She has been left in limbo for 10 months and counting while the party investigates – only for Labour to use the racist abuse directed at her by a Tory donor for political capital, while still refusing to reinstate her.

Another fellow leftwinger, Kate Osamor – again, a Black female MP – was suspended for describing the assault on Gaza as a genocide on the day the international court of justice placed Israel on trial for alleged genocide. Questions of racism, then, seem to be judged on whether they have a factional use – a sure sign of moral bankruptcy. This leadership style is crude in opposition; with an overwhelming majority, it will be chilling.

That is why I think those who believe in real change from the Tories’ bankrupt model should vote for Green or independent candidates. A new initiative – We Deserve Better – is raising money to support such candidates, judged on whether they believe in, say, taxing the well-off to invest, or public ownership, or opposing war crimes, even if they differ on this or that. Those seeking transformative policies are now fragmented, but they don’t have to be. The premise of this new initiative is simple: if the left doesn’t band together, the only pressure on Labour will come from the migrant-bashing, rich-worshipping right.

The Tories’ chance of winning is infinitesimally small. What matters now is whether anyone who wants to redistribute wealth and power is denied a voice in Starmer’s administration. That is certainly the ambition of his lieutenants. When inevitable disillusionment with a government rooted in deceit and lacking any solutions to Britain’s woes seeps in, it will be the radical right that stands to benefit.

So bid me farewell, even cry “good riddance”, but before you do, ask yourself: what do you think will happen next?

Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist

Guardian Newsroom: What is Labour’s plan? On Tuesday 16 April, 8pm–9.15pm BST, join Gaby Hinsliff, Tom Baldwin, Polly Toynbee and Kiran Stacey as they discuss the ideas and the events that might shape Labour in power. Book tickets here or at theguardian.live

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here .

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Writing Competitions For Children

15 Writing Competitions For Children

Writing is a skill and something that everyone should be able to do. The best time to practice and learn is in the early stages of life.

The beauty of attending elementary school is that it teaches reading and writing skills; children must learn to write and become proficient in writing before adulthood.

Writing competitions are a great way to get children excited about writing and reading, and they can also help develop their creativity, critical thinking skills, and communication abilities.

Here are 15 writing competitions for children recognized by organizations such as the American Library Association (ALA) and the Young Authors Guild (YAG).

Importance Of Writing Competitions For Children

We can all agree that children are excellent learners who learn quickly and absorb every little detail. The writing competition is an opportunity for children to practice and improve their writing.

Participation in the writing competition is beneficial for children, and they can practice their writing in front of an audience and are rewarded for their unique talent.

When children participate in writing competitions, they get their first experience with competitive writing.

Through competitive writing, children understand the importance of choosing a topic, term, and word count.

Writing Competitions For Children

1. The Write Path

The Write Path is a creative writing contest for young people. It’s open to students in grades 6-8, and they can submit short stories, poems, or essays that are 200 words or less. Winners receive a $1,000 prize!

The Write Path was started by Dan Robinson, who said the goal of this competition is “To give kids who might not normally be encouraged or inspired with their writing skills someone else who thinks it’s great.”

2. Ron Hubbard’s Writers Of The Future Contest

The renowned L. Ron Hubbard’s “Writers of the Future Contest” is open to writers of all ages, in all genres, and from around the world. 

The contest is also open to unpublished authors and those who have not yet published their books, so long as they are still writing them, you can submit up to three manuscripts.

You may not need to be a professional writer or have any training at all; if you have an idea for your own story, then this competition could be just what you need.

3. PBS Kids Go! Writers Contest

Write a story about a character from one of PBS Kids’ shows. The contest is open to children ages 13 and under, so if your child has an imagination and loves reading, this could be the perfect opportunity to give them something fun to do over the summer.

The entry fee for this competition is $10, but don’t worry. You won’t have to pay again if you win! Your child will receive the following:

  • A savings bond worth $500 (which can be used as collateral)
  • An autographed copy of your winning book

4. Young Author Writing Contest

This is a writing contest for children ages 8-12 and 13-17. The topic can be any topic, and the entry fee is $10. 

Deadline: April 1, 2020 (or when entries are received). Prizes include $500, $200, and $100 for each participant who wins.

5. Letters About Literature

What: A competition for children aged between five and eight years old. It’s open to all babies, toddlers, and preschoolers who can write their names in English or Spanish. 

The competition runs between March 1st and 31st every year, with a winner chosen at the end of each month. The winning entries are published in a book for children that also includes poems by other writers.

You must complete an online application form with your name, address, email address, contact details, and details about yourself, including your age group.

6. American Board Of Pediatrics Writing Awards Program

The American Board of Pediatrics is a non-profit organization that provides educational services and certifications in pediatrics. 

They also offer various writing competitions for children, ranging from grade school to college.

The awards are based on your child’s performance in the writing competition, not their score on a standardized test. 

In order to enter these competitions, you will need to contact them directly via postal mail or email and request an application form along with instructions on how to submit it. 

7. SCBWI (Society Of Children’s Book Writers And Illustrators) Writing Contests

SCBWI is a non-profit organization that provides resources and services to writers.

SCBWI offers writing contests for young adult (YA) and middle-grade fiction, picture book manuscripts, poetry, and nonfiction.

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) hosts numerous writing competitions each year. 

These competitions offer prizes in the form of cash awards or publication contracts with major publishing houses such as HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House Press, or Macmillan Children’s Books/Penguin Random House U.K. Limited Partnership.

8. National Geographic Photo Contest

The National Geographic Photo Contest is a great way for kids to get involved in the world of photography. The entry fee is $15, which includes all processing and shipping costs. 

All photos are submitted online, so you don’t need to worry about printing out your submission or anything like that. The age limit for this competition is 13-18 years old, the minimum age requirement. 

There’s no upper age limit because they want to make sure it’s possible for someone who doesn’t feel comfortable with technology yet can still take their own photos.

After all of your entries have been entered into a computer database by one person at NGP staff headquarters in New York City, they will be put through some automated processes before being sent off again.

  • Read More: Who Invented School Tests? All You Need To Know

9. C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition

C-SPAN StudentCam is a documentary competition that allows students in grades 9-12 to make their own documentaries. 

Students must submit a 10-minute video, which must be related to civics and government. 

The videos then go through an audition process and are put on C-SPAN’s website so they can be viewed by people worldwide.

The winning team gets $5,000 and may also be invited to attend an exclusive awards ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C.

10. The Christopher Columbus Awards

The Christopher Columbus Awards is an annual awards ceremony that honors the best in children’s literature. 

It is sponsored by the Children’s Book Council and The International Reading Association. 

In its 40-year history, it has awarded over $1 million to authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers who have made significant contributions to children’s literature.

The International Reading Association administers this award program on behalf of CIRA (the Conference on Information Literacy Research), which develops research into reading comprehension in school settings worldwide.

11. National PTA Reflections Program

The National PTA Reflections Program is open to students in grades 6-12. Students are encouraged to submit a reflection on their school, community, or life experience that captures their feelings about the past year and what they will do differently next year.

Submissions should be 800 words or less, and topics must be based on the theme of the year: “What Makes Me Proud” (2019) or “What Am I Learning About?” (2020).

12. Do The Write Thing Challenge Essay Contest

This Challenge Essay Contest is open to students in grades 6-12 who reside in all 50 states and are interested in writing. 

All participants must be of good moral character and be able to complete their essays on topics related to the contest theme: “The Magic of Writing.”

The deadline for entry into this year’s competition is February 14, 2020, at midnight EST (GMT-5).

13. Global Youth Justice Challenge Essay Contest

The Global Youth Justice Challenge Essay Contest is open to middle and high school students in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. 

Students will be asked to write an essay on a topic related to juvenile justice or juvenile justice reform. 

The winner will receive $2,500 in cash prizes (1st place), $1,000 in books (2nd place), $500 in magazines (3rd place), and $250 for honorable mention(s).

14. Compass Book Awards

Compass Book Awards is a competition for children’s books. It’s open to students in grades 4-8; you can submit your book online or by mail. 

There are three categories: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The award winners are announced at the National Book Awards ceremony.

15. National Science Fair Competition

The National Science Fair Competition is an annual event in the United States. 

It is sponsored by the Department of Energy, with support from other organizations such as NASA and NSF (National Science Foundation). 

The competition was first held in 1950, but it wasn’t until 1963 that it became an official event. The age groups for this competition are K-12, College/University, and Undergraduate. 

In order to enter this competition, you must be a high school or college student who has completed your sophomore year of college at least one year before entering your senior year. 

You must also have been accepted into any accredited university with either full-time or part-time enrollment options. 

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Are Writing Contests Worth Entering?

They give you experience. They will help you perfect your craft. It teaches you to meet deadlines and pay attention to instructions. It’s worth your time and a few dollars to try.

What Are The 5 Types Of Writing?

There are only five main types of writing: expository, descriptive, persuasive, narrative, and journal or letter writing. Each genre of writing has a unique purpose and requires different skills.

Can You Get Caught Using An Essay Writer?

If you hire a low-rated essay writing service, you could be exposed. Students who buy poorly written essays and articles from essay-writing companies are subject to heavy penalties. However, you can avoid these risks by hiring a professional service.

How Much Money Does A Children’s Author Make?

ZipRecruiter sees annual salaries as high as $101,000 and as low as $18,500. Most Children’s Book Writer salaries currently range from $30,500 (25th percentile) to $56,000 (75th percentile), with the highest earners (90 . percentile) earning $79.50 per year in the US. of states.

How Fast Should A 10-Year-Old Write?

Speed ​​was calculated as the number of letters typed per minute. In a study by Ziviani and Watson-Will (1998), the average writing speed was 69.9 ± 33.8 letters/min for boys aged 7 to 14 years and 55.18 ± 17.87 letters/min for boys aged 7 to 10 years.

Which Age Is Best For Writing?

Basic (ages 8-10) – Write more complex sentences and start learning to self-edit your work. They will also begin to understand the process of planning, to draft, and revising their written work. Many children also start keyboarding for longer written assignments at this age.

Can A 10-Year-Old Be A Writer?

Children’s authors show us that there is no minimum age to sit at a bestseller’s table. From epic fantasy to dating advice, these young writers have great ideas to share.

Can A 10-Year-Old Write And Publish A Book?

 You can be any age as long as an adult is ready to help.

Does Creative Writing Increase IQ?

Every day makes you smarter (especially if you write by hand). Writing makes you think. Some studies even show that handwriting increases cognitive activity and can make you smarter if you put down the keyboard and handwrite.

Why Is My Child Slow In Writing?

All young children have some difficulty when it comes to writing or perfecting their handwriting. 

However, if your child’s handwriting is consistently distorted or unclear, it may be due to a learning disability called dysgraphia. This nervous system problem affects the fine motor skills needed to write.

There are many writing competitions for children to enter. The common thing is that they encourage young writers to experiment with their writing style and improve their skills.

Now, all you need to do is find the right competition for yourself.

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"Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on." - Louis L'Amour

"don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass." - anton chekhov, the english council  pte. ltd. (tec)  is proud to present its inaugural nationwide creative writing competition extended to all singaporean & pr students in singapore between the ages of 10 and 19 years old in 2020..

creative writing beta competition

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Pick ONE of the following five essay topics and write an original story between 500 and 800 words in length:

  • The Red Box
  • Start and end  your original story with the following sentence: ‘I never liked the colour purple.’
  • Write an original story based on: You are in the middle of a secluded desert. You see a mirror in the distance and as you gravitate towards it, you reach out and touch it.
  • Schadenfreude

Submit your original story to [email protected] by 5th December 2020  Saturday, 19th December 2020, 6.00pm . 

1st Prize (Overall Winner): Apple iPad

2nd Place Winner (Age Group – 10 to 14 Years Old): $400 TEC Gift Card

2nd Place Winner (Age Group – 15 to 19 Years Old): $400 TEC Gift Card

Plus 27 Consolation Prizes

Submission Date:

5th December 19th December 2020, 6.00pm

Notification of Shortlisted Candidates by:

12th December 2020 9th – 12th January 2021

Workshop Date & Time:

Saturday, 19th December  

Saturday, 16th January 2021 

2.00pm to 6.00pm

Broadcast of Top 3 Winners:

December 2020 January 2021

*Dates and terms have been amended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Submissions for this event are closed. A big ‘thank you’ to all contestants for their participation and support.

We look forward to reading each and every creative masterpiece. Stay tuned by liking or following us on our Facebook Page .

Write on & let the magic happen!

COMPETITION CRITERIA

This competition is strictly open to all Singaporean and PR students only, who are aged between 10 and 19 years old in 2020. Each contestant may submit only ONE entry. ALL entries MUST be original and written by the contestant in English. The entries must not have been published anywhere else at the time of submission.

All participants MUST Like and Share any one of The English Council’s (TEC) Nationwide Creative Writing Competition 2020 posts on TEC’s Facebook Page (See link: https://www.facebook.com/theenglishcouncil/ ) on their Facebook Wall, Instagram or any social media platform in the form of a post. The audience setting of the latter post on the contestant’s social media profile MUST be set to public (where applicable) and remain actively published until the closing date of this competition. All submissions MUST include a screen grab(s) of the latter, along with TEC’s Entry Form (See below).

Entries that do not meet the minimum word count of 500 words or those that exceed the word count of 800 words will be immediately disqualified. Personal details of the contestant written on the first page will not contribute to the final word count.  

The submission deadline is 19th December 2020 at 6.00pm . Late submissions will not be entertained.

This is a FREE event and there is no participation fee of any kind required.

Entries must be submitted via email to [email protected] and must use TEC’s Word Document template (CLICK HERE) . The first page of this Word Document MUST be completed and endorsed with the contestant’s signature before submission. The contestant’s essay should start only from page two of the Word Document and should be typed in Arial font-size 12, double-spaced and in black only. Before submission, the Word Document needs to be renamed by changing ‘FULL NAME’ to the contestant’s full name.

SELECTION OF WINNERS

30 shortlisted contestants will be selected by the faculty of The English Council Pte. Ltd. and they will be notified by January 2021. The 30 selected contestants will be invited to attend a compulsory and complimentary Creative Writing Clinic, where they will undergo a second level of selection process during which they will be further assessed. This will be conducted on Saturday, 16th January 2021 from 2.00pm to 6.00pm . (Shortlisted contestants will be notified of the venue via text message or email closer to the date). Of the 30 shortlisted contestants, 3 of them will be announced as the top winners based on their performance during the Creative Writing Clinic. The remaining 27 contestants will be awarded with a consolation prize. The results of the top 3 winners of The English Council’s Nationwide Creative Writing Competition 2020 will be published on The English Council’s website or social media page by January 2021. 

SAFETY & PRECAUTIONS

In view of the global spread of COVID-19, every effort will be taken during the Creative Writing Clinic to ensure the safety of all our participants through prior mandatory travel declarations of all parties directly involved in the event and temperature checks of all parties on the actual day before the commencement of the event.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

By submitting the essay to the competition, the contestant grants The English Council Pte. Ltd. and its affiliates the non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, world-wide, royalty-free license (with the right to sub-license) to keep and reproduce, edit, display, transmit, modify, publish and otherwise make use of the submitted entries in any and all media for any purpose consistent with the corporate objectives of The English Council Pte. Ltd., including educational, archival and research purposes, and for publicising The English Council Pte. Ltd. or any of its programmes, including derivative works for such purposes. Where practical, the essay will be attributed to the student who submitted it.

In addition, by submitting the essay or any other content to the Creative Writing Competition, the contestant declares that the submitted materials do not infringe on any copyright or other rights of any third party, and that the contestant has the right to grant any and all rights and licenses to The English Council Pte. Ltd. 

The English Council Pte. Ltd. reserves the right to change any of the above terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

For further queries, please contact us at [email protected]

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