Oxfordshire Libraries announce that their 9th writing competition launched on 3 January 2023. This year children aged 7-11 are invited to write a short story (up to 3000 words), other categories are available for 12-17 year olds and 18+.

It is a perfect activity for the new year, inviting children to build on the creative writing skills practised in class – to then explore at home and in their own time.

The competition aims to encourage writers to tell their own story and is a great opportunity to encourage children to write for fun. It is free to enter, and the closing date is Sunday 26 February 2023.

The winner of each category will see their entry published as an eBook and eAudiobook to be made available to members of Oxfordshire Libraries to borrow in 2023.

Each entry must be original, fictional, in a short story format, and entirely the work of the entrant. It should have not been previously published. The story should be submitted as either a Word document included as an attachment or a link to a Google Docs document. The font size should be 12pt or larger.

Full terms and conditions, as well as instructions on how to submit entries, can be found on the Oxfordshire Libraries website: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/shortstorycompetition