Click here to enter the Children & Young People’s Competition to WIN 100+ books for your s

Meet the Judges

We've got some brilliant judges lined up for this year's competition.

They can't wait to read your work...but for now, you can read a bit about them!

Age 5-8 years Category Judge - Emma Swan, author

Award-winning children's author and West End Actress Emma Swan grew up on cruise ships! Her parents worked onboard and like her protagonist, Silver, she spent a lot of her childhood being ‘ship-schooled,’ while travelling the globe.

Emma’s children’s book series ‘Cruise Ship Kid' are based on her own experiences of living onboard.

As an actor, Emma works frequently with Horrible Histories. Her other acting credits include the RSC and Doctor Who.

(If you are making multiple entries for a school, please click here) ➡

Schools Entries & Resources

1. Download an entry form

2. Write your story or poem and draw your pictures.

3. Get a grown-up to fill in the 'for grownups' section of the entry form.

3. Drop your entry off at one of our collection points in:

Waterstones Buttermarket - 36 Butter Market, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1DW

Waterstones Arc - 14 Prospect Row, Bury St Edmunds, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3FB

Bury St Edmunds Library - 2B St Andrew's St North, Bury Saint Edmunds, IP33 1TZ

Harris and Harris Books -

Download Entry Form

1. Download an entry form

or use a word processor to write your story or poem. If you are drawing pictures - you can do it in a drawing programme, or take photos of your drawings

2. Ask a grown-up to help you:

a) save your entry as digital files by saving, scanning, photographing or transcribing them.

b) fill in the in the form below and upload your entry.

Download Entry Form

However you enter, before you do, don't forget to...

Name of Entrant

Date of Birth

Day

Month

Year

Entrants must be under 18 in October 2026

Entrant's School

Please state the school the entrant will be attending in Autumn 2026

Name of Entrant's Grown-up

Entrant's under 18 must have the permission of an adult to participate in the competition.

Grown-up's relationship to entrant

Grown-up's Email Address

I agree to be contacted by Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival by email.

Title of entry

Please ensure the title here matches the file name and the title in the document you are uploading.

Book (or character!) that inspired the entry

File upload

Please ensure your entry includes the title and entrant name in the file name.

If your entry includes drawings or you have scanned the downloaded entry form, you can upload images.

I have read and accept the Rules of the Competition

Read The Rules of The Competition

Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival Creative Writing Competition is a Children's University eligible activity.

We will send you the stamp code to verify participation on receipt of a submitted entry.

PRIZES

Winner in each category (5-8 years, 9-11 years, 12-17 years)

100+ books for the entrant's school (1/3 o
a £50 book voucher
free tickets for accompanying adults
story or poem published in the Bury Free Press
a certificate presented at the festival

Runner-up

a £25 book voucher
your work published in the Bury Free Press
a certificate presented at the festival

All entrants will receive:

Subscriber Box Office Access on 1st June 2026, before General Booking opens on 1st July 2026
20% off tickets for grown-ups- on top of Early Bird offers and Gold, Silver & Bronze multi-buy offers

and

25% off Creative Writing Workshops

Details of Prizes

300

Meet the Judges

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