Now the biggest children’s writing competition in the UK, the Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition is open to unpublished, unagented writers based anywhere in the world. Entries aimed at readers from age 7 all the way up to age 18 (Young Adult) are accepted.
The top prize is a publishing contract with Chicken House with an advance of £10,000, plus the offer of representation from literary agent Louise Lamont at LBA Books, who will also be on this year’s judging panel. A second prize, the Chairman’s Choice Award – awarded to the manuscript which shows the most potential – will win a £7,500 publishing contract plus an offer of representation.
This year’s competition will be judged by a panel of industry experts, including Chicken House Publisher Barry Cunningham, the Times Arts Editor Alex O’Connell, YA Book Prize-winning author Patrice Lawrence, Waterstones Children’s Buyer Florentyna Martin, author and booktuber Lucy Powrie, LBA Books literary agent Louise Lamont, bookseller Sanchita Basu de Sarkar from Children’s Bookshop Muswell Hill, and literary scout Rosalind Ramsay.
The competition costs £20 to enter.
Find out more here
Deadline: midnight, 1st June 2022