500 Words storytelling competition starts

500 Words is back for 2026/27 - will you be taking part this year?

It's the UK's largest story writing competition for 5-11 year-olds and is now open for entries!

The competition celebrates children's creativity and imagination, with children from across the UK being encouraged to create and send in an original story using 500 words or fewer.

If you want to take part you need to submit your story before the deadline on Friday 6 November at 9pm.

There are two age categories for children to enter: 5-7 and 8-11-year-olds.

Spelling, punctuation and grammar are not marked as the organisers say they want you to focus more on letting your creativity flow.

The entries will then be judged by a celebrity panel of judges made up of authors, actors and comedians - including Malorie Blackman, Charlie Higson, Francesca Simon, Sir Lenny Henry, Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Rose Ayling-Ellis.

If you want to find out more or get some tips for your writing, there's also a special 500 Words Live Lesson on Wednesday 30 September at 11am.

The grand final will take place next year, with six young authors - a bronze, silver and gold in each age category - receiving a royal invitation to have tea with Her Majesty The Queen.

This will be followed by a special 500 Words programme with The One Show in early March where the winning stories will be revealed and read out by celebrities.

The winner will get a framed illustration of their story, created by one of Britain's best children's illustrators, and their stories will be published in a special 500 Words winners' book.

Winners also get a National Book Token and the gold winners' schools get 500 books for their school library.

The top 25 from each category also get their story recorded and published on the 500 Words website.