Young Persons Writing Competition
Henry Curry • 14 October 2025
BBC 500 words - encourage the youngsters to enter
(copyright BBC) The BBC 500 Words Competition is open for entries. Make sure you submit your stories before 9pm, Friday 7 November.
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! There are prizes to be won - each winner will take home a bundle of books and the gold winners will also win 500 books for their school library.
All the details on the BBC Bitesize website here https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/topics/ce5jljmy5ljt
Members can go to the Members Only page (you'll need the password) and read stories that were a little too long to fit in the normal Link magazine - see the section marked 'Fiction Special' --> HERE
The deadline date for paying 2025-26 subscriptions to NAWG is 31st August 2025. Any groups or individuals who have not paid by this date will be removed from the active database and will not be sent publications in future, able to vote in the AGM, allowed to enter the 2026 members' competitions, or be listed on the website. The groups and individual members who have not yet paid are being advised of the deadline. Groups and Individuals who fail to pay up may of course re-join. New groups and individuals joining the association will pay the full subscription (group £50, individual £25, student £15) and with their joining pack will be sent access to all the Link magazines published since 1st July 2025. They will be encouraged to enter the Members' competitions 2026 (closing date 31st March 2026.) After 31st March, new joiners subscriptions will cover them until 30th June 2027 i.e. they get their first period of up to three months free.
Can you write a spooky ghost or horror story in just 250 words? Then why not enter our NAWG 2025 Autumn 250-word Flash Fiction competition . It will run from Friday 3rd to Friday 31st October, so you have plenty of time to start thinking about it now. Prize of £25 for the winning entry , and we'll publish it on the website. Entries cost £2.50 and you'll find all the entry details on the website HERE - entry will be open to all from the 3rd of October.
