2025/2026
Writing Competitions
September 2025
The Ghost Osa Prize for Children
This category is for anyone up to and including 16 years old on 1st December 2025. Overseas authors are also invited.
The Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize
This competition offers an opportunity for students aged 11 – 19 in school, college, or sixth form to demonstrate their creativity and their engagement with an adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s texts.
It’s simple, all you need to do is write a story of up to 500 words based around the theme – ‘Courage.’
Taradiddle young writers contest
Thursday, September 11 – Monday, September 15
There are two age categories: 5-7 and 8-11 year-olds and spelling, punctuation and grammar are not marked - as has always been the case for 500 Words, it's all about our writers' brilliant creativity! UK only.
October 2025
The competitions are all free to enter and there is no limit to the number of entries that a school can submit. UK only.
Poetry by Heart is a national poetry speaking competition for schools and colleges in England. It’s also a website for teaching and learning about poetry – by heart and out loud, and with plenty of choice for young people to explore poems and find the ones that speak to them. UK only.