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Information and resources for teachers and schools
Win 100+ BOOKS* for your school library by encouraging
your students to enter Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival's Creative Writing Competition 2026
ENTRY
Submit online by midnight 26th July 2026
£7.99 paid on entry - via pay pal or card. Every entry fee for the Adult Competition = 1 more book donated to local schools.
We are on a mission to bring the joy of reading and writing to the children and young people of Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding area.
One of our core aims as an organisation is to get as many young people in the area as possible to engage with reading and writing through our FREE EVENTS FOR UNDER 18's. This year, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors Chassis Cab, our Creative Writing Competition won’t just reward the winners but all the other students at their school will benefit for years to come too!
To celebrate the National Literacy Trust's National Year of Reading the school of the winner of each of our three categories (Age 5-8, Age 9-11, Age 12-13) will win the opportunity attend a special 'lock-in' event at local independent book Harris & Harris Books to chose 100 Books* for the school library - meaning that the whole school wins and will continue to do so for years to come.
If the opportunity to encourage your students to read, write and create imaginatively, for the possibility of such an impactful isn't incentive enough - thanks to Usborne Books, we are have two signed and dedicated copied of The Cruise Ship Kid: Thief at Sea by Emma Swan to offer to the library of EVERY primary school whose pupils enter. And the effort of EVERY SINGLE entrant will be celebrated, with every single one of them receiving a badge and digital certificate.
We know that teachers and educators are very busy people. So we've put together the below resources, to make it easy to share with children and parents.
You can use the resources to point parents towards our website: https://www.burylitfest.co.uk/childrens-creative-writing-competition-26
so they can enter either digitally, or download the entry form do so in person at one of our drop off points around the town.
Alternatively, if you are making a group submission, on behalf of the school, you can use the multiple-entry form below.
We've tried to think of everything. But, if there is something that would help you to encourage your students to enter please just get in touch.
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.
please right click on images below to download for digital use
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